Bay Oaks is needed in our community
Residents of Fort Myers Beach who believe Bay Oaks Recreation Campus is overstaffed should rest easy; the Recreation Manager, the Interim Recreation Manager and a Senior Program Coordinator have all quit their Bay Oaks jobs in the past month. In addition, seasonal workers like summer camp counselors and seasonal lifeguards will no longer be needed as summer draws to an end. Even fully staffed, there are only four full time positions and the rest of the part time positions, which vary seasonally, offer no benefits.
It is true that the Town has had to assume the expense of running Bay Oaks when Lee County offered the Town the choice of either taking over the recreational campus or shutting it down. Running a recreational campus is an expensive proposition, and right now, if you count only experienced, qualified professionals, there is a skeleton staff doing the job. They are already doing more with less. It may be hard for those not involved with Bay Oaks to understand the need for so many personnel and, for myself, I would rather see fewer employees overall but with full-time positions, better salaries and an ongoing commitment to Bay Oaks. That’s not going to happen in the near future because of budget considerations and priorities that Town Council must take care of.
Many members of our community value Bay Oaks, realize its potential, and initiate fundraisers that benefit the center. Why is this necessary? Because there just isn’t enough money to go around, and there are essentials needed by the center. One such group has already raised money toward an additional van for transportation on field trips. Local businesses make handsome donations to Bay Oaks because they realize the value to the community that this center can add. Bay Oaks can be a direct benefit to us all, including children, adults and seniors -and there are members of the community who value it enough to help Bay Oaks do its job.
When you look at employment numbers at Bay Oaks, consider not only the number of positions there are, but also the relatively low remuneration for the supervisory positions and the part-time nature of the majority of the other positions.
Also, consider the resources necessary to make this a top-notch facility. It will take time, but it is vital that the community recognize the importance of Bay Oaks and support efforts along the way to make it into the kind of recreational campus that is fully staffed with professionals who are capable of taking Bay Oaks to the next level of excellence.
Becky Bodnar is a member of the Bay Oaks Recreational Campus Advisory Board and is active in the Bay Oaks Social Seniors.