Public commenters and council debate staffing, funding for Berghuen Recreation Center; motion held for two weeks

Keisha Gomez, executive director of Hope for Tomorrow, told the standing committee the organization provides year-round out-of-school programming in the West End and asked that local groups be included in decisions about violence-prevention and youth funding. “We build relationships that last for years,” Gomez said, urging the council to give community organizations a seat at the table.

The discussion centered on bill 6-43, a resolution authorizing the mayor and relevant directors to issue a request for proposals for social-services programming at the Berghuen Recreation Center at a cost not to exceed $200,000. A committee member presenting the item said the renovated building has been closed during work and that operators have struggled to sustain daily programming post-pandemic. The presenter noted recent allocations to other programs and added, “The money is there. We just need the will to do it.”

Multiple community speakers — including Lauren Corsi of Hazelwood Initiative, James Cole of Poor Law, and several Hazelwood residents — said the facility is ready for children but lacks staffing and operating dollars. Lauren Corsi said the rec center is renovated “but they can't use it because it needs staffing and programming.” James Cole, who has run sports and after-school programs at the building for years, said his group has been operating on a minimal budget and appealed for direct support: “We do $500,000 worth of work for $10,000.”

Committee members debated procurement options during the discussion. Several speakers said long-standing local providers fear being undercut by an open RFP and urged alternatives such as cooperation or facility-usage agreements, sole-source arrangements, or direct city staffing of programs. Others emphasized the administration’s role to determine contract mechanisms while the council allocates funding. One committee member suggested staff capacity, purchasing rules, and past practice be reviewed before returning with a recommendation.

After discussion, a committee member moved to hold bill 6-43 for two weeks to allow conversations with the mayor’s office and public-safety and parks staff. The motion carried by voice vote; the council recorded the hold and will revisit the item at the next scheduled meeting.

The presentation and public-comment period established the central issues remaining: whether the council will direct stop-the-violence or other funds to Berghuen via an RFP, a cooperative agreement, or direct city staffing, and how to ensure continuity and community trust in whoever runs daily programs. The committee will return to the matter at its next meeting with follow-up from administration staff.