It must be election season again in Springfield judging from the letter criticizing the Trustees’ decision to hire a new director for the Community Center/Senior Center. The writer hopes to create a false rumor that there is a plan to end senior programs at the Center. Nothing could be further from the truth. Here are the facts:
1. The Trustees reviewed how the Center can be of the greatest benefit to Springfield, keeping the programs for seniors intact. Not one senior program has ended and there is no plan to reduce senior programs at the Center. The desire is to improve use of the Center for all of the community.
2. About 18 months ago, the Trustees began a study of the operations at the Center and found a facility with great potential, serving a very limited number of people at a large cost. In 2008, the cost to operate the senior program exceeded $152,000 (with only $44,000 of that being offset by grants, donations for meals and rental income). On the average only 26 meals were served per day in fiscal year 2007; 23 a day in 2008; and less than 300 Springfield residents in total had attended any senior program at any point for all of the year, both years. We found limited programming and not many rentals. Most weeknights and many weekends the Center went unused. Many residents were unaware that the Center belonged to the whole community.
3. The senior program had changed very little over time. There was lack of innovations to increase the number of persons served or to market the Center for additional uses. It hardly justified a full-time director. In 2008 that director was paid $50,800, plus insurance and retirement benefits. Interestingly, after the director’s retirement, the senior program operated without a director and without a hitch for 60 days. That saved the Township in excess of $8,400 - not including the savings for insurance and retirement benefits (Also, the new director has been hired at a current annual savings for salary of $7,000, and he has waived the requirement of having the Township pay for his medical insurance).
4. The Trustees sought to increase the use of the Center. We developed the Community Advisory Board, to get citizens involved in review of the programs, make recommendations for improvements and aid the director in implementing those ideas. Bobby Dinkins was one of those citizens who volunteered time to help in that effort (serving as the group’s chairperson). When a position of director, with expanded goals for the Center came open, he applied.
5. Over 35 applications for the position were received and 11 individuals were selected to receive personal interviews. To assist us in the selection process, two citizens were enlisted to participate in questioning the applicants. The decision of the Trustees and these two citizens was unanimous that Bobby Dinkins was the best choice, based upon his insights and expressed plans for how the center could be of greater benefit to the whole community. Of significance in his background was actual employment experience in marketing and sales, which we believe to be essential in building the program at the Center.
6. The new director is committed to making the center exist not just for seniors but, for all families throughout the Township, without limiting the senior program. This requires a new a fresh look at what our community needs and marketing the programs to enhance its use.
Many of the decisions which we make as Trustees are controversial, but we are committed to making decisions that benefit the greatest number of people. That was our guiding light in the selection of the new director for the Center on Springfield Lake.
Dean A. Young
Springfield Township Trustee
