KENT—The Park and Recreation Commission, denied in its bid for a full-time recreation leader by the Board of Selectmen, is looking hard at plans for expansion this summer. It decided Monday to approach the Board of Finance March 20 for additional funds.
Park and Rec originally had $35,781 in its line item for aides and program leaders, but would like to add another position to provide new director Matt Busse with back up. Busse told commissioners that the new hire would take on “delegated tasks.”
Following the meeting in which the selectmen decided against a full-time recreational leader, Busse and Park and Rec Chairman Rufus de Rham approached the selectmen asking for $2,000 for this purpose. The selectman complied.
But at a subsequent meeting with their board, Busse and de Rham painted a picture of a growing program. They said they would attempt to keep Camp Kent open an hour longer on each end of the day to accommodate working parents. They also reported strong interest in the summer program, which suggests to them that they will have a larger enrollment.
Lynn Mellis Worthington, the Board of Selectmen’s liaison to Park and Rec, asked if the $2,000 would be enough to accomplish all their goals. She suggested strongly that they fine-tune their projections before approaching the Board of Finance. “I would recommend being very detailed with the Board of Finance—give it all in writing.”
“If we expand, the $2,000 might not be enough,” conceded de Rham.
“You really need to crunch your numbers,” Worthington said. “If you need more money from the Board of Finance, the time to ask is now.”
A lengthy discussion ensued about what figure would allow the commission and Busse to achieve their goals. de Rham and Busse settled on a sum of $41,116 for aides and program leaders, a sum the others endorsed.
