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Mount Kisco rec commission debates shortening Camp Iroquois amid staffing concerns
Summary
Recreation Superintendent Joanne Aquilino proposed shortening Camp Iroquois to six weeks to avoid staff shortages in the seventh week; commissioners suggested incentives, a water-bill survey and a one-year trial before a permanent change.
Joanne Aquilino, recreation superintendent, told the Mount Kisco Recreation Commission on Oct. 2 that staffing shortfalls in the campseventh week prompted a proposal to shorten Camp Iroquois to six weeks.
Joanne said counselor staffing falls from about 44 counselors during the first six weeks to roughly 35 in the seventh week and that 14 counselors either called out sick or missed at least one day during that final week. To reduce the risk of insufficient coverage and to meet Board of Health counselor-to-camper ratios, she proposed moving to a six-week core camp and offering a separate, staff-led program for the seventh week.
Commissioner Kathy Feeney argued the camp should remain seven weeks because of the number of families who use the seventh week. Linda Cindrich suggested offering incentives or bonuses to counselors to remain for the extra week, and Kim Terlizzi proposed running seven weeks in 2020 and considering a switch to six weeks for 2021 if problems persist. Joanne also suggested putting a brief survey in the water bill to measure parental preference and discussed training options such as having the pool director teach a lifeguarding course to encourage new hires to remain as lifeguards for the season.
Next steps: the commission discussed outreach (a water-bill survey) and a possible one-year trial; no formal motion to change camp length was recorded during the meeting.
