Conversation About Rec Director Resurfaces

As budget requests start to roll in, many of the issues the town has been wrestling with for years are back in the spotlight. The official budget presentations will make their way to the Board of Finance soon, but at the February 4, 2026, Board of Selectmen (BOS) meeting, the future of the Recreation Commission was once again up for discussion. 

David G. Bachiochi, Chairman of the Recreation Commission, gave a brief overview of this year’s budget request. Officially, the commission is asking for a little over $159,000, but that does not include the $95,000 he estimates it would take to hire a full-time recreation director. It does include funding for the Summer Recreation Program at Staffordville School, as well as stipends for youth sports, custodians, utilities, and more. 

Bachiochi also told the BOS that the commission would like to enhance swimming instruction at the summer program, but that historically it has been hard to find swimming instructors. Ironically, many towns cultivate their own lifeguards and swimming instructors through robust recreational programs that provide training for a fee. 

While a full-time director is estimated to cost around $95,000 per year based on benchmarking data, Bachiochi was armed with alternative plans. He suggested that the town could get started with a stipend of $15,000 to $20,000 to launch a part-time recreation program. What that would look like is still a question mark.

Selectman Tim Cromwell asked if there was a chance of bringing a senior softball league back to town. Bachiochi said he was unsure if there was enough interest to sustain it and did not think Olympic Field could handle the activity. Selectman Tony Armelin asked if there was a history of providing swim instruction in town. During the public comment session, Laura Lybarger confirmed that not only were there once swimming lessons in town, but that her kids ended up becoming lifeguards after spending lots of time at Staffordville Beach during the summer.

Lybarger also expressed her appreciation for Bachiochi, saying that he is constantly trying to do better for the town. “You can’t run a town on volunteers,” she added, asking that the board consider adding some version of a recreation director.