Vineland residents and youth workers press council over split control of Karl Arthur Recreation Center

Dozens of Vineland residents and youth program leaders urged the Vineland City Council on Sept. 23 to resolve a months‑long dispute over who controls classrooms and evening hours at the Karl Arthur Recreation Center, where the Boys & Girls Club of Cumberland County and the Vineland African American Community Development Corporation (VAACDC) both operate programs.

Speakers said children’s programs have been interrupted, licensing rules complicate shared use and promises by city officials have not been carried out. “We have been in that building for 20 years,” Taryn Allison, unit director for the Karl Arthur Center for the Boys & Girls Club of Cumberland County, said during public comment. “We are licensed through the state of New Jersey. We have to follow protocol.”

The dispute centers on classroom assignments, evening access and storage. Kathy Williamson, speaking for VAACDC, said her organization was effectively confined to a small office and has had storage and janitorial access restricted. “We need an additional space in that building,” Williamson said. She told the council her group was told by the mayor they were to be “entitled to 2 classrooms,” a promise several speakers said was not implemented.

Boys & Girls Club staff and volunteers described repeated interference with classroom setup and state inspections. Betty Maven, who works in food service at the center, said staff have faced health‑department citations when food appeared in classrooms. “We get cited by the county or Vineland, we get cited by the state of New Jersey,” Maven said. She said staff move and cover food items when inspected but that the shared use creates citation risk.

Several speakers described damage or displacement of program materials, limits on after‑school hours and instances when children had to leave before programs closed. “How are you gonna put youth out the building when their parents aren’t there?” asked Coron Harris, a senior counselor with the Boys & Girls Club, recounting an incident he called disrespectful to staff and children.

Elected officials and community leaders urged calm and a negotiated solution. Council member Doctor Elizabeth Arthur, whose family name is linked to the recreation center, said she had met with program leaders and city staff and urged a sit‑down to “be civil with one another.” Council member Vargas said he preferred the matter be handled administratively by the recreation department so the two organizations’ future use “could be decided” without partisan conflict.

Several speakers asked the city to formalize schedules and storage assignments, and to clarify who is responsible for maintenance and compliance with licensing rules. Taryn Allison, noting the Boys & Girls Club is an after‑school program subject to state licensing, said the group cannot “mix and mingle” children or food items across program spaces without risking penalties.

Council members and long‑time community volunteers framed the dispute as harmful to children and urged immediate mediation. “If the adults continue to do it, the kids suffer,” President Spinelli said during council remarks. Several council members invited program leaders to meet with recreation staff and city administration; Council member Gomez suggested a process guided by “communication, collaboration and transparency.”

Formal outcomes were not announced from the dais. Council members said the administration and recreation department would be responsible for any formal scheduling or reassignment decisions, and several council members urged that construction or repairs be coordinated to avoid further disruption. Doctor Arthur suggested, if agreements cannot be reached, returning the building entirely to the recreation department with city‑managed scheduling.

The public portion on the issue closed at the end of the council’s public comment period; council members said administrators would follow up. Residents and program staff were invited to provide additional written material to the clerk for administrative review.

Community members who requested follow‑up included VAACDC and Boys & Girls Club leaders; council members encouraged both sides to meet and said city staff would mediate if needed. No ordinance, contract or binding administrative decision affecting the center was adopted during the Sept. 23 meeting.