Presentation on Joint Recreation Boss Monday

A presentation on a plan for Hastings-on-Hudson and Dobbs Ferry to share a parks and recreation superintendent will be held after Tuesday's organizational meeting of the Hastings-on-Hudson Board of Trustees.

The proposal would have Hastings-on-Hudson pay Dobbs Ferry $65,000 for a one-year pilot period to share the cost of employing Dobbs Ferry's current superintendent Matt Arone, who would serve the villages equally.

Hastings-on-Hudson Mayor Peter Swiderski said the Village would be paying about $120,000 to $130,000 (including salary, benefits, pension, etc.) if the Village were to hire a new superintendent on its own. The Rivertowns Enterprise reported on March 22 that Arone currently makes a salary of $80,000 (benefits and others costs not included).

Swiderski said the effort is a "natural evolution" of existing efforts to share costs between villages, as the villages currently share a joint repaving contract; that the plan would offer a much needed cost savings for the village that would help stave off cuts to village services and other areas of the budget in the future; as well as provide other possible ways the two villages could work together to save money.

Some Hastings-on-Hudson residents spoke out against the project at a recent public hearing saying that it would open a doorway into greater consolidation efforts that would ruin the village’s independent identity, that the measure should be put to a referendum and that it would mean money spent rather than money saved. 

Some suggested that Hastings-on-Hudson keep recreation supervisor Kendra Garrison as acting superintendent, a position she has held since the village's previous superintendent retired 8 months ago. Garrison is currently paid about $85,000 a year for her services in Hastings-on-Hudson.

Read the story on the public hearing here: http://rivertowns.patch.com/articles/poll-hastings-dobbs-mull-sharing-recreation-superintendent

Tuesday's meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. at Hastings-on-Hudson Village Hall, 7 Maple Ave.

Check out the agenda here: http://hastingsgov.org/Pages/HastingsNY_Announcements/01AA6C9A-000F8513