By James Windell
After the South Haven Area Recreation Authority presented the South Haven City Council with an amended Community Recreation Director agreement, the City Council unanimously approved the agreement on Monday, April 21, 2025.
Scott Reinert, SHARA Recreation Administrator director, did not come to the meeting unprepared. Not only were there speakers who advocated for the agreement, but he and the Superintendent of South Haven Public Schools, Ana Aleman-Putman, were ready to answer the questions from the City Council.
The City of South Haven voters approved a recreation millage in August, 2024, which provided funds to be raised for community recreation for all ages. The City approached the South Haven Public Schools as a partner to meet one of the goals of the millage – the employment of a community recreation director to help develop, plan, organize, and supervise recreational plans and programs for the community.
The original proposed agreement between the city and the school district was for two years with an option to renew. The agreement contemplates the hiring of a part-time South Haven Public Schools staff member to act as Community Recreation Director. In a regular City Council meeting On April 7, 2025, the City Council raised many questions about the role of the City in the agreement and how the $90,000 from the City would be spent. The council was not able to muster the votes to approve the agreement during that meeting.
At a subsequent SHARA meeting, the discussion about the Community Recreation Director agreement ended with an understanding that Joe Reeser, one of the City Council members who failed to support the agreement, as well as a representative to SHARA, met with members of the SHARA Board and Reinert to attempt to reach an understanding that would allow Reeser to vote to support the agreement at the next City Council meeting.
Reinert reported that the meeting took place and that “We’ve come to alignment and I think we can get this approved at the next City Council meeting.”
During the City Council meeting, Reinert clarified that the Community Recreation Director would report directly to the SHPS athletic Director. He also indicated that while the position is part time to begin with, it could become a full-time position in the future. “I believe very strongly,” Reinert told the Council, “that this is the right solution for South Haven.”
Councilman Reeser said that while the City has a Parks Department that department and its manager does not administer recreation programs. “I think this position will solve that,” Reeser said.
Although Council member Mary Hosely was still adamant that the City needed a stronger voice in the work of the Community Recreation Director, Aleman-Putman in responding to this said that she hoped “That you trust your City Manager and us.” City Manager Kate Hosier was part of the group that developed the agreement for a Community Recreation Director.
With approval of the Community Recreation Director Agreement between South Haven Schools and the City, it means that plans can proceed to hire a Community Recreation Director and that person can begin their recreational duties this summer.
