Lake Zurich residents oppose YMCA taking over recreation

A proposal that would essentially dismantle Lake Zurich's park and recreation department and turn programs over to the Foglia YMCA was opposed by several residents during a public discussion Tuesday night.

Residents voiced concerns about the potential rising cost of programs, the fate of existing partnerships between the park department and local groups, and the reliability of the YMCA to provide services, among other issues.

“I see many benefits for the YMCA and little to no benefits for (the village),” said resident Maureen Deegen, a former leader of the town's park and recreation advisory board.

The advisory board and the village board met Tuesday to discuss the proposal and an agenda full of other parks-related issues.

A formal vote on the plan is expected by March 2012, Village Administrator Bob Vitas told the Daily Herald before the meeting.

The village's ongoing financial problems are driving the deal, officials said.

During Tuesday's meeting, Mayor Suzanne Branding described the village's finances as being “somewhere between bad and really grim.” With revenues lower than expected, the town is expected to be between $1 million and $2.5 million in the red by the end of the fiscal year, she said.

Teaming with the YMCA is a way to think outside the box, Assistant Village Administrator Roy Witherow said.

“It is prudent for us to look at all options,” he said.

Branding called the talks with the YMCA “very, very preliminary,” but a three-page memo that spells out the plan in detail has been circulated.

The memo calls for the YMCA staff to take over all of the village's recreational programs.

Any changes to programs, including registration costs, would need to be approved by the town's park board.

The village's 32 parks will continue to be owned and maintained by the village staff, Vitas said before the meeting.

The YMCA would be responsible for equipment and material purchases for programs, however.

Any new program would have to be approved in advance by the village administrator after consulting the advisory board, the proposed agreement states.

The YMCA also would absorb the park department's staff, which includes three full-time administrators, two part-time receptionists, the people who lead programs and seasonal workers such as lifeguards and camp counselors.

Any current employees would be retained during the transition for up to one year, according to the proposal.

After the transition, employees will be evaluated individually, and further employment will be based “solely on satisfactory job performance,” the memo states.

The projected $400,000 annual savings would come from salaries and benefits no longer being funded by the village, Vitas said. The money would fund park maintenance and improvements, he said.

A few local residents spoke against the proposal at the start of the meeting.

Deegan questioned what would become of the parks department's existing partnerships with recreational organizations, particularly if a group's mission conflicts with the YMCA's mission.

She also criticized the YMCA for pulling out of a deal involving a local skate park.

Resident Karl Craddock said he's concerned residents will have to pay more to participate in programs, citing the different costs of the preschools run by the park department and the YMCA.

“I know the village is experiencing a budget crunch, but so are many of its residents,” Craddock said.

The possible creation of an independent park district also was briefly discussed Tuesday.