The city needs a full-time recreation director and more - not fewer - programs and facilities, a group of Farmington residents strongly told the City Council.

The council, at the urging of city manager Max Forbush, recently reassessed the city's recreation program before deciding whether or not to replace its former recreation director with another full-time employee.Former director Joe Grimmett left the city recently for a job with Salt Lake County.

Forbush saw the departure as an opportunity to reassess the program, its costs, and how the city wants to manage it.

Options outlined to the council ranged from replacing Grimmett with another full-time director, the most expensive option, to relying on part-time program managers for individual sports augmented by more volunteers.

Forbush estimates employing a full-time director costs the city around $43,000 a year in salary and benefits.

"Is the city getting the bang for its bucks?" Forbush asked in his analysis. "What services are presently being provided for this cost? The answer: youth basketball, youth spring and fall soccer, girls sports, football and a few recreation-brokered activities such as tennis, archery, dancing, drama, etc.," Forbush pointed out.

Forbush's analysis demonstrated that by hiring a part-time director, at 20 hours per week, augmented by individual activity program managers, the city could save between $21,000 and $27,000 a year.

And by going with only program managers and no overall director at all, the city could save between $31,000 and $33,000 a year - funds that could be used to expand the program in other ways.

The down side, however, Forbush pointed out, would be less overall coordination of the program and more work and stress put on other city officials, including the council.

About 40 residents attended the meeting and stressed to the council they want more, not less, recreational offerings in the city.

Noting the city is suffering from an increase in juvenile crime and gang activity, Earl Morris said he was shocked the council would even consider reducing its youth-oriented programs.

"We need more money in the budget for recreation, not less," Morris told the council. "We have 72 basketball teams all trying to practice at Farmington Junior High and you don't have any other facility for them to practice in," he said.

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"Recreation programs help build self-esteem and confidence and keep kids off the streets."

His opinion was echoed by Steve Tibbs, head of the city's youth baseball program, who seconded the need for a full-time director and more playing fields.

"As volunteers, we've worked our butts off to get the program where it is," Tibbs said, pointing out the number of Farmington-area teams that have gone on to win state and regional titles.

After about an hour of discussion, the council agreed to begin the search to replace the full-time recreation director in addition to adding some program managers and secretarial help.

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