Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Summer Recreation Program topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Richland official says health-department rules blocked summer program at proposed firehouse site
Summary
A town official told the Richland Town Board that Oswego County Health Department requirements — including municipal water, restroom counts and fencing — prevented use of the Richland Fire Department facility and forced cancellation of the Summer Recreation Program for this year.
Councilman Eric Pappa said the Town canceled this year’s Summer Recreation Program after the Oswego County Health Department declined to approve the Richland Fire Department building as a site because it is not on municipal water and failed other safety checks. The explanation came during public comment at the May 12 Town Board meeting in Pulaski.
"The Department of Health is the one that killed the program for the safety of the children," Councilman Eric Pappa said, summarizing the department’s reasons. He listed Health Department requirements that the proposed site did not meet: municipal water service, no alcohol on premises, separate restroom counts for large groups ("If you have over 40 kids, you have to have 2 bathrooms for the boys and 2 bathrooms for the girls"), fencing so children cannot run into the road, proper refrigeration and a kitchen for lunches, and screening for sex offenders in the area.
Resident Robert Jeffery, who had asked why the Town did not use the firehouse, said he sought an on-the-record explanation. Pappa said Town staff and volunteers explored several options, including Camp Zerbee as an off-site alternative, but timing and logistics made it infeasible this year. Pappa outlined rough cost and staffing estimates for an off-site program: Camp Zerbee’s rules would imply roughly $40 per student per week; counselor ratios and pay would substantially increase program costs and create budgeting risk if enrollment fluctuates.
Pappa said the Town contacted bus providers and the school district; bus availability and venue scheduling also contributed to the decision. He said town staff had been in frequent touch with the Health Department and that insufficient lead time prevented establishing a compliant site for 2026.
The board did not take a formal vote on the program during the meeting. The explanation given by Pappa was recorded in response to public comment and intended to clarify why the program would not run this year. The Town did not announce a final plan for 2027 or funding changes at the meeting.
The public record from May 12 includes the board’s explanation but does not include a written denial from the Health Department; the Town’s summary attributes the site failure to the County Health Department’s standards as described by Councilman Pappa.
