While the idea of hiring a full-time Recreation Director for Stafford has been rolling around for quite some time, there has also been plenty of pushback. There are heated opinions on both sides of the topic. Some think the town gets along just fine with volunteers running the youth sports leagues and the Recreation Commission. Others would like more robust options for all age groups and think a director is the only way to get there. Meanwhile, the town is contemplating a low-cost compromise.
At last week's Board of Finance meeting, when the members were discussing issues surrounding Stafford Little League and the role the Recreation Director used to play in enforcing guidelines for town leagues, someone asked First Selectman Bill Morrison if the '25-'26 proposed budget for the town included a full-time Recreation Director. It does not, but that is not the end of the story.
Morrison has been contemplating moving the Community Center offices to Staffordville School, which is fully ADA-accessible. It also happens to be where the Summer Recreation Camp is held, and he thinks it could be possible to ask Grace Parrow, the Director of Elderly Outreach & Municipal Agent on Aging, to take on some of the duties a Recreation Director would perform. Relocating the offices would serve a number of purposes, but would also put the Community Center staff closer to the town's one recreation program. It would also let the town repurpose the primarily empty school while providing services at virtually no extra cost. Meanwhile, one of the arguments for a Recreation Director is that the position would be expected to get grants to cover programming and bring in revenue.
This is all just still a dream, the main barrier being whether or not Parrow would even have time to take on the extra duties. Still, it could be a harbinger of what's to come: a compromise that considers the townspeople's desire for more services and activities while acknowledging that many are hesitant to do anything that could add to the budget. For now, the Recreation Commission is developing a job description to help make the case and further define the added responsibilities for any town employee who takes on the role.
