Despite a recommendation from the village’s Playground and Recreation Commission to join a special recreation association, Brookfield’s village board is looking for more information on the potential partnership, which could cost the village some $60,000 per year.
On Thursday, March 15, the Playground and Recreation Commission will host a special meeting to gain input from families who would be interested in participating in special recreation programs and to answer some questions regarding the need for such a partnership. The meeting will be held in the village hall courtroom, 8820 Brookfield Ave., at 7 p.m.
“The majority of the [recreation] board wants to get moving on this,” said David LeClere, chairman of the Playground and Recreation Commission. “Hopefully, we’ll get the input from residents to see if it’s worth doing.”
Last November, the recreation commission voted unanimously to recommend that Brookfield join the Downers Grove-based South East Association for Special Parks and Recreation (SEASPAR). The organization serves residents in 10 communities, including LaGrange, LaGrange Park and Western Springs.
In February, the village board, after a brief discussion, kicked the matter back to the recreation commission asking for information on the number of Brookfield residents who would take advantage of the partnership to justify the price tag.
Annual membership dues for the organization are based on population; Brookfield’s estimated share would be roughly $60,000, which could be paid for either through the village’s general operating fund or by the imposition of a special recreation tax of up to 4 cents per $100 of equalized assessed property values.
Figuring there are roughly 8,000 households in Brookfield, the cost to an individual homeowner would be $7.50 per year.
“To me, it’s well worth it,” said Mary Pezdek, program coordinator for the Brookfield Recreation Department. “That’s two cups of Starbucks coffee. For the services we’d receive, I think we’d get a lot of bang for our buck.”
Currently, Brookfield has few options for families seeking special recreation opportunities, and few special recreation agencies allow non-members to take advantage of their services. One such organization that does is the Gateway Special Recreation Association in Burr Ridge.
According to Pezdek, four families enrolled their children in Gateway’s summer camp program. Brookfield picked up the difference between the resident and non-resident tuition for the camp-an amount totaling roughly $11,000.
The Recreation Department helped seven or eight families take advantage of special recreation opportunities last year, Pezdek said. While that number is small, it’s partly because the department doesn’t advertise special recreation opportunities.
“Once you get started with these programs, they build,” Pezdek said. “We don’t advertise our arrangement with Gateway.”
Joining SEASPAR would not just provide special recreation opportunities for school-age children. The association also provides recreation programs for adults and younger children.
“To me, it’s a no-brainer,” said Michael Towner, a village trustee who serves as the board’s liaison to the Playground and Recreation Commission. “If we have the program, more people will use it. It would benefit people more than we realize. I feel the village should provide this service to residents.”
Just how many people might use the services of a special recreation district is not fully known. Pezdek sent questionnaires to all of Brookfield’s school districts and other local service agencies, including Community Support Services, Helping Hand Rehabilitation Center and Age Options.
“It’s a matter of do we have enough interest where joining is worth it in the long run,” LeClere said. “If we had at least $60,000 worth of interest we would do it. If we’re paying $12,000 and people are happy with that then maybe we should stick with the $12,000.”
The earliest that the issue could come back to the village board for discussion would be its meeting on March 26. Any recommendation from the Playground and Recreation Commission is advisory only. Village trustees will have the final say on joining a special recreation association.
