Combining recreation and senior citizen departments will increase services, save money, department heads tell board

Riverhead’s senior citizen and recreation departments will be combined into one in a move that will increase programming and save the town about $1 million over the next five years, if a plan put together by the two department heads is approved by the town board.

Recreation superintendent Ray Coyne presented the plan to a receptive board at its work session this morning. Judy Doll, longtime director of the town’s senior citizen department could not attend the meeting because she was called to jury duty.

“After close analysis, we’ve concluded that there will be numerous benefits to reorganizing both departments and restructuring the current staff which will result in better services and significant savings,” Coyne told the board.

Plans include providing more recreational programs for seniors at the town’s Shadetree Lane facility, Coyne said. “We can add a whole contingent of programs,” he said, including new inter-generational programs for seniors and youth. The youth bureau is already functioning out of the Aquebogue facility, he noted.

Most of the recreation department staff currently working at the Stotzky Park office will be relocated to Aquebogue, he said.

The recreation department will be able to utilize buses that transport seniors in the morning but are then idle much of the afternoon, when they could be put to good use for youth.

“It makes a lot of sense,” Coyne said.

The combined department will be co-led by Coyne and Doll. Eventually, it will be headed up by one department head and a “strong deputy,” he said.

Some positions that are soon to be vacated due to retirements will not be filled, where others will be changed on the labor contract schedule. There will be an overall estimated savings of $180,000 per year.

“With the board’s support we can start the pilot program,” Coyne said. “Judy has lost two people and I’m at a downturn now that summer’s over, so we can step in and help her out immediately.”

Board members happily gave the idea a green light. Coyne was asked to sit down with financial administrator William Rothaar to provide details on cost savings for 2016, so they can be factored into the supervisor’s tentative budget, which by law is due to be presented to the board by Sept. 30.

“It’s a concept right now that is still early in the planning stages and hopefully has merit as we go further with the meetings,” Doll said this evening. “I am involving my staff in the planning to ensure everyone has their input when we are ready to move forward.”