Hamtramck recreation director outlines summer programs, pool closure and scheduling fixes after neighborhood complaints

Rick Daniels, the recreation director, gave the Hamtramck School District board a detailed report on summer programming, membership and upcoming fall activities and outlined operational problems exposed during recent rentals of district facilities.

Daniels said the district’s flagship eight-week summer day program served nearly 100 children — “We had 99,” he said — and provided breakfast and lunch for participants for a one-time resident fee of $25 (nonresidents pay $150). He also summarized youth sports, a movie‑in‑the‑park series that drew roughly 20–30 attendees per showing, senior-program offerings (about five to 10 regular participants) and indoor winter clinics. On memberships he reported roughly 35 monthly memberships between June and Aug. and a small number of annual memberships.

The pool and community‑center operations drew sustained attention. Daniels told the board the pool was closed this summer because of HVAC and tile work and that some of that construction staged equipment in locker‑room areas; he said the pool may not reopen for the next summer season while larger repairs continue. Daniels also said the district is pursuing a pay-scale update for recreation staff aimed at improving lifeguard recruitment and retention.

Board members raised a separate set of concerns about how stadium and park rentals were scheduled. Multiple members described dates when two large events overlapped, producing overcapacity, parking problems and noise complaints for neighbors. Daniels said some rentals did not come through his office this past summer and described the situation as a miscommunication; he urged that all community rentals be routed through the recreation office so the district can verify contracts, liability insurance, security and maintenance coverage. “If they come to us, we can eliminate those type of problems,” Daniels said.

Several board members asked staff to strengthen rental contracts to require event organizers to provide estimates of attendance, security plans and responsibility for post‑event cleanup. They discussed options such as requiring police presence for large events, specifying maximum cars allowed for safety/fire access, and using nearby lots (for example Playfair) to reduce neighborhood parking impacts.

The board later approved a related administrative item: the recreation department salary schedule was approved as submitted (board vote recorded as 6 ayes, 1 absent). The board also discussed but did not adopt additional, immediate operational changes during the meeting; members asked staff to return with a proposal to tighten rental procedures and clearer communications to neighbors.

What’s next: The board asked staff to enforce the facility‑use process, ensure rentals include required insurance and security plans when appropriate, and return with proposed contract language and parking/security options to reduce neighborhood impacts.