The pandemic forced Greenbelt Recreation to “reinvent ourselves,” said Recreation Director Greg Varda, as programs quickly transitioned to a primarily on-line approach. With the easing of Covid-19 restrictions, Recreation is starting to slowly offer more in-person programming. Varda and his colleagues, including Assistant Director Anne Oudemans, Greenbelt Aquatic & Fitness Center Supervisor Stephen Parks and Arts Supervisor Nicole DeWald, gave a summation of their upcoming budgetary proposals to council on April 28 and their effort to offer quality programs that connect to the community.
The Food and Friendship Program has continued delivering meals to seniors and providing for their various needs, largely through the efforts of Rebekah Sutfin and Brian Butler.
Summer camps will be modified in-person this year. Registration for camps has been good, said Oudemans, yet because of the smaller size due to Covid-19 restrictions, revenues will not be at their traditional levels. Varda predicted an 85 percent return to pre-pandemic participation levels, with 100 percent reached by 2023. Fees have been kept as low as possible to encourage maximum participation.
The Virtual Recreation Center continues, with offerings that will likely persist post-pandemic due to their enormous success. Between April 1, 2020, and April 21 this year, the site received 88,641 views.
Park rangers have been very active in their role as “ambassadors,” said Varda, monitoring the city parks and educating the public and adding their support to other departments when needed. They have been helping to deal with the difficult-to-enforce problem of the use of fields by nonresident, unpermitted groups. Rangers have found good compliance with mask wearing at city parks. Mask wearing in public places continues to be the city mandate despite the recent lifting of the outdoor restriction by the governor, something councilmembers felt to be confusing. More rangers are likely to be added soon.
The virtual Mom’s Morning Out Program has grown to include one participant from Africa and one from Mexico.
Greenbelt Recreation assisted Public Works in Greenbelt’s successful pursuit of the 2020 Maryland Sustainability Champion award.
Recreation staff have adopted a staggered office schedule in keeping with Covid-19 social distancing. Though there were cases amongst program participants, no staff were infected, largely due to safety protocols.
Varda stressed the need to compensate and retain necessary non-classified staff, recommending creating a third-tier classification, as some employees provide skills requiring specific certifications. This sentiment was echoed by Jake Chestnut, chair of the Park and Recreation Advisory Board.
Varda said that the department is taking a detailed look at its organizational structure to make it as efficient as possible. Some key vacancies remain open, such as assistant director of recreation facilities and operations, Community Center coordinator, recreation program supervisor and office administrator.
The Aquatic & Fitness Center continues to operate on an appointment-only basis, with an hour cleaning after each session. Varda was keen to move slowly, in order “to not have to retract.” Members have been offered refunds on unused time with the option of transferring the money to other recreation programs, with passes extended several times. Parks said that 90 percent of daily appointments are filled.
Varda has made a priority of hiring new lifeguards, pointing out the shortage statewide. Said Parks, four candidates are in the process of being hired with more being sought.
The idea of changing park closing hours from 11 p.m. to dusk was debated, in conjunction with the idea of adding more lighting at night for safety. Councilmember Rodney Roberts advised no changes as it impinged on the natural evening experience.
Bringing food trucks to the city was discussed, with most of council in favor, as it draws people and commerce to the city, as long as the trucks are properly regulated, especially for food safety.
The need for more public art in the city, a long-standing concern, was expressed by council, with the hope that funding, staff availability and quality concepts can be garnered to finally make it a reality. Greenbelt Metro Station has been another avenue proposed for public art.
DeWald asserted that the restoration of the Lenore Thomas sculptures remains a priority, with a possible start date in May, pending state support.
The enforcement of helmets at the skate park, strongly endorsed by Councilmember Leta Mach, has proven to be nearly impossible, with Varda and Roberts advocating for a skate-at-your-own-risk policy.
The use of religious symbols at the Festival of Lights was brought up, with the prevailing sentiment being to make the event either religion-free or inclusive of all religions that have celebrations at that season.
Chestnut advocated for funding of the Buddy Attick Park master plan to better assess its present usage and preserve its sustainability.
Kristen Weaver, chair of the Greenbelt Station Activities Committee, expressed her desire to further partner with Greenbelt Recreation in bringing recreation programs to the community.