At a very long Kenner City Council meeting last night, Mayor Ben Zahn corrected a misperception of mine (and many) in Kenner - the new Recreation "Participation Fee" for Youth Sports isn't about Recreation or "Participation" or improving Kenner Recreation or maintenance of fields or paying currently volunteer coaches.
In fact, the new Kenner Recreation "Participation Fee" isn't about Recreation at all - it's about police details.
Yes, police details.
After Mayor Zahn unilaterally added a $10 "Participation Fee" for residents, with the approval of Kenner's City Attorney who decided that a "Participation Fee" isn't really a "Fee" because a "Fee" would be required to be approved by the Kenner City Council (and include public comment), two Kenner City Councilmembers, District 1 Councilman Gregory Carroll and Councilman-At-Large Tom Willmott (both former volunteer coaches), decided that maybe the Council (and the public) should talk about this new "Fee".
After the two Councilmen spoke and several members of the public (myself included) spoke out against this new "Fee", and NOT ONE member of the public or the council spoke in favor of this new "Fee", Mayor Zahn finally, let the cat out of the bag, but not before explaining why the Council hadn't heard of this new "Fee" before it was imposed.
Allegedly, Mayor Zahn is a very, very, very busy guy. He was going to send the Council info(after he had already imposed the "Fee") but he didn't have time,
Look, I don't doubt that. I have far more text conversations with Mayor Zahn than I do actual conversations. I understand he has a lot on his plate.
But, the Mayor has frequent conversations with Councilmembers, although, since the majority of this Council is beholden to Mayor Zahn and most wouldn't think of publicly questioning his actions (either due to their own ignorance of the Charter - which they swore an oath to uphold or fear of the Mayor lashing out as he did at Councilman Carroll), the Council rarely questions the actions of the Mayor.
Sadly, this lack of true, independent representation on the Council dates back to former Mayor Mike Yenni's "Consensus Team".
The fact is, if Councilmen Carroll and Willmott hadn't requested the time to discuss this, and give the public an opportunity to comment, we still wouldn't have answers to the many questions that are still dangling after an hour and a half of sometimes tense discussion.
In any event, after Mayor Zahn disclosed the need for Police Details at Youth Recreation games, Recreation Director Chad Pitfield read two profanity-laced emails that he received that discussed potential violence and threats at Kenner Rec games.
Two emails.
Look, some parents (and youth players) may get a little excited. Tempers flare when there's a perceived bad call or penalty. Referees who don't deserve it, get heckled and even cursed. Things happen. Stupid things are said. It happens.
When I played Little League baseball, I had a temper. I said many things to Umpires that crossed the line and I got tossed out of my share of baseball and basketball games.
And yes, I've gone to Youth games and heard parents and relatives yell at Referees, other parents, and even other people's children.
That will never stop. Our society in general has gotten less civil.
I often hear people cursing at other people in Wal-Mart. In fact, I may have cursed out loud a few times myself at Wal-Mart.
But, does that mean that Wal-Mart needs a paid Police Detail for potential shopper altercations?
No, Wal-Mart has paid Police Details to deter shoplifting,
Do we need paid Kenner Police Details at all Kenner Recreation games? No.
KPD Chief Glaser disclosed that there were 55 "Calls for Service" at Kenner Recreation events. "Calls for Service" include every incidence of someone calling 911, whether it was for a minor traffic accident in a parking lot, an injury or any reason including an altercation (which the Chief mentioned was a very small number of the 55).
Since the Chief was prepared with the 55 "Calls for Service" figure, tells me that he was prepared by someone in the Zahn Administration to be ready for that question. Chief Glaser is good but, he's not THAT good.
Kenner's CAO Deborah Foshee was also prepared to cite participation numbers and projections of what the new "Fee" would bring in to the city and what the Police Details would cost.
The fact is, this new "Participation Fee" will generate less than 1/2 of the cost of Police Details which are projected to cost $16,000 annually.
The question is: if KPD are truly required to attend Kenner Rec events to deter "violence", shouldn't the Mayor and Chief work out a plan and budget to include a "Regular" Police presence at Kenner Rec events instead of a Police Detail, which often is just an excuse for a retired KPD Officer to earn a little extra cash?
I mean, if I'm attending a game and a violent incident occurs between two "gangs" of rival playground parents, I would feel much safer with a "Real" KPD Officer on scene instead of a Retired Rent-A-Cop who doubles as a Wal-Mart greeter.
No disrespect intended for former officers but, a Retired Officer is not in a position to defuse a potentially violent incident.
If violence and threats of violence are such an issue in Kenner at Recreation events, why haven't the Mayor and Chief ALREADY taken steps to include a KPD presence at events?
And, since even if they use Paid Details instead of Regularly Scheduled Officers, the cost is only $16,000. The City of Kenner's annual budget is $66.5 MILLION. Surely, Mayor Zahn could find $16,000 in the City Budget or Chief Glaser could find it in KPD's $20 MILLION annual budget, right?
Since this new "Participation Fee" only covers less than 1/2 of the projected cost of Police Details, and since Rec Director Pitfield made the point that the $10 Resident Fee is less than other entities, why not charge more? Look, make no mistake, I'm against this "Fee" for Residents in any amount but, if the Mayor can't find $16,000 in a $66.5 MILLION budget, how can he find 1/2 that amount?
Could the Mayor find $8,000 and Chief Glaser find the other $8,000 somewhere, anywhere, without nickle and diming Kenner residents?
It's about "Public Safety" and "The Safety of Our Children", right?
If you're an elected official, you FIND the money for "Public Safety" right?
Of course, when Mayor Zahn made the Kenner Fire Chief appear before the City Council to essentially "BEG" for $8,000 for new bunker gear (which has already proven to save Kenner Firefighter's lives), I don't think I could say that "Public Safety" is a real priority in Kenner.
But, I'm sure the Mayor would disagree.
Yes, I know that Mayor Zahn has taken steps to improve KFD with new equipment, additional manpower and morale.
But, I was embarrassed that the Kenner Fire Chief was required to go in front of the Council at all for $8,000.
The bottom line is - this "Participation Fee" is not needed and the idea of "Required Police Details" to stop violent incidents at Kenner fields and gyms is a smokescreen. Two emails and less than a handful of incidents involving a couple of knucklehead parents is not a reason for a Mayor to unilaterally impose a "Fee" without Council approval or public comment.
And, yes, the reality is, since the bulk of the Kenner City Council besides Councilmen Carroll and Willmott, along with questions from Councilwoman Kristi McKinney, sat on their tongues and were afraid to speak out against this potential Charter violation (probably because they haven't even read the Charter they've sworn to uphold), infers that they approve of the Mayor's actions and the "Fee".
The Council's lack of participation and outrage at this "Fee" was also disappointing.
As I mentioned, if Paid Police Details are truly warranted at Kenner Recreation events, the prudent thing would have been for the Mayor and KPD Chief to sit down, put their heads together and work out a plan, then go to the City Council and say, "This is the problem. Here's the solution. I need your help."
That didn't happen.
Since this new "Fee" only covers 1/2 the cost of the proposed Paid Details anyway, at some point, the Mayor is going to need to come before the Council anyway and ask them to approve a change in the budget to allocate the difference anyway, so why not do that in advance?
And, since we are discussing costs and "Fees", why are Kenner Recreation workers paid time and a half to attend Kenner Recreation events? Shouldn't that be their job? The City shouldn't be paying Recreation workers to drive around or babysit empty gyms while kids are in school anyway. Change the hours and schedule to reflect when Kenner Recreation Department workers (and the Director) SHOULD be working - don't pay them time and a half to do what should be their jobs.
No, there is nothing that anyone can say to make me believe that this "Participation Fee" is in anyway about Paid Details and deterring violence at Kenner Recreation events. It just doesn't add up.
So, what is this "Participation Fee" really about?
Is it to punish Kenner's minority and low-income community?
Is it political retribution by the Mayor against the push back he received over the now rescinded Nike ban?
Is the Mayor just pushing to see how far he can go and how far the Council will let him go?
Since any fee could be an obstacle for Kenner's low income families, is the Mayor trying to continue to dismantle Kenner Recreation and drive down participation further?
Since this fee doesn't HELP Kenner residents, and that should be the goal of anything that the Mayor of Kenner does, why do this at all?
The City of Kenner receives sales tax revenue, property tax revenue, occupational license fees, permit fees, funds from the Treasure Chest, and on and on. Those existing taxes and fees should pay for a robust Kenner Recreation Department - not just the bloated salaries of Mayor Zahn's political appointees.
Does Kenner really need an Assistant to the Mayor in charge of Party Planning or does it need more and better recreational opportunities for our residents? What would bring Kenner more new residents - a political appointee or a quality, no cost Youth Sports program?
The fact that we are even asking this questions tells you that this situation was handled poorly by Mayor Zahn, regardless of his intentions.
No Mayor should be allowed to impose a new "Fee", whether it is voluntary or mandatory, without Council approval - regardless of the interpretation of the Charter by the City Attorney (who is a political appointee of the Mayor and NOT the Council) - the INTENT of the Charter, and I believe (as do many others) that the Charter is clear about this point, is that the Council is the Governing Authority for Kenner and, as such, should have the final approval on fiscal matters.
The Mayor is the Mayor - not the King.
At least that's not according to my copy of the City Charter.
