While leaders of the Marco YMCA maintain the organization is doing well locally, the national YMCA system and international economy is taking its toll.

Cindy Love, executive director of the Greater Marco Family YMCA, said the organization is cutting its budget by 10 percent. Love said the cuts will affect employees, but not services.

She said management level employees will see the largest cuts, suffering a 10 percent salary decrease and eliminating 10 percent of the organization’s positions.

This includes Senior Program Director Gina Sisbarro-Blassneck, who has been with the Marco YMCA for about seven years. She left retirement to take the position; her last day with the YMCA was Friday.

Love said she would like to see the Marco YMCA and the city parks and recreation department partner with each other.

“Even if we weren’t in these economic times, I think the city and Y should collaborate. Why not conserve resources anyway just to get the best bang for the buck?” Love asked rhetorically.

City Council Chairman Bill Trotter said he wholeheartedly agreed.

“That’s why I appointed a YMCA person (Love) to the Parks and Recreation Committee,” said Trotter.

He hopes the committee will “work out the programs and see where there are synergies.”

The city is in the process of recruiting a new parks and recreation director with the resignation of Dana Souza and interim Parks and Recreation Director Bryan Milk, city planner, is a “strong candidate” for that position, said City Manager Steve Thompson.

While the nationwide search continues, Thompson said he anticipates the director will be chosen by the end of January and will need to look to see where duplication exists between the city and the YMCA programs.

Thompson said the difference between the mission of the YMCA and the mission of Parks and Recreation leaves room for only minimal overlap in services.

The city’s parks and recreation department includes maintenance of medians and parks, clearly not related to the YMCA, Thompson said.

Duplications and overlap exists in areas such as Halloween parties, other children-centered events and sports programs, said Steve Reynolds, a spokesman with the YMCA.

“There are a lot of opportunities for partnering. Everything is possible,” said Thompson.

He added that the duplication of efforts between the non-profit and the city may be addressed program by program by the new director and YMCA leaders.

Solutions may include each organization choosing between events that they are the best fit for and possibly for the city and the YMCA to host some programs together, Thompson said.

Love said she is working with the new city leadership on solutions to better use community resources.

“The most important thing is for people to know that services will not be cut or diminished by these budget changes,” she said.

Naples Daily News
Naples Sun Times
The Banner

Collier Citizen
Vista Semanal
PrepZone

Coastalbeat
Set Anchor
SWFLMoms