Summer playground program would require trade-offs

By John Miner

South Huron council is being cautioned that reviving a summer playground program could come at the expense of other municipal services.

“Theoretically it could be doable — however, there might be some trade-offs,” said South Huron chief administrative officer Rebekah Msuya-Collison.

If council decided to proceed with a playground program, staff would need to bring back information on what it could not feasibly complete as a result, she said.

The comments came as council considered a staff report at its March 2 meeting warning there was little time left to plan and staff a program for this summer.

“Given the department’s current workload, operational demands, and most recent commitments, there is insufficient capacity to complete the necessary pre-planning and provide the appropriate day to day oversight required to successfully deliver a camp program this year,” the staff report stated.

In addition, attempting to introduce a summer camp program at this point in the year could impact the department’s ability to deliver other services, such as operating an additional pool and extending the ice season.

South Huron ran a summer playground program for children ages 4 to 11 up until 2019.

Council had asked staff to look into a summer playground program after receiving a letter in January urging them to consider it.

In her letter, Jessica Bickell said she had worked at the former playground program for five summers during her high school and university years.

“I witnessed firsthand the tremendous value these programs bring to our community. Not only do they provide meaningful, safe, and engaging experiences for local youths, but they also offer exceptional employment and leadership opportunities for young people in South Huron,” Bickell wrote.

Council decided to defer making a decision after being advised that a private operator is running one in the municipality. Staff was asked for more information for the meeting on March 16.

If the municipality ran its own program it was estimated South Huron would be looking at covering $14,000 in cost above the revenue received from registrations.

The calculation was made assuming 40 children would be registered for eight full weeks. Parents would be charged $150 a week to register a child for a full week, or $120 for a four-day week.

It was estimated staff salaries for the camp would total $53,074, with additional expenses for sports equipment, craft supplies and special event trips.

Other impacts of a day camp would include using staff time to manage registrations, communicating with parents, and scheduling.

Management personnel would also need to develop camp policies and procedures. Operations staff could expect an increased workload that may include more frequent washroom cleaning and additional garbage collection.

The staff report noted the community had identified a need for additional summer programming options following the closure of the former before-and-after school care provider that had offered summer day camps.

But the report also said there are some existing organizations within the community, including churches, that offer summer programming.

“Any consideration of introducing a municipally operated day camp would require continuous reviews to ensure it does not unintentionally compete with current or future providers,” the report stated.