Upset parents and volunteers who have not been happy about how Stafford Little League (SLL) handled the resolution of recently revealed financial missteps have been looking for a way to hold the organization's board more accountable. And after its special meeting last week, the Recreation Commission may have a resolution. The commission voted to update its reporting guidelines for leagues operating in town.
The reporting guidelines for league administrators (available on the town website) require programs listed in the Stafford Recreation Commission Budget Expenditure Report to “Submit annually the Operational Expense report with the requested accompanying data.” As we learned at last week’s Board of Finance meeting, most leagues no longer take stipends from the Recreation Commission, making enforcement a problem. So, the commission will be tweaking the language to make this policy more enforceable. Here are the salient points:
Leagues not providing the annual report must conduct an independent audit at their own expense.
If the audit is not conducted, the Recreation Commission will revoke permission for that league to use the town’s facilities, including fields, gyms, and more.
These organizations must conduct meetings by Roberts Rules of Order and institute Codes of Conduct for board members, volunteers, and parents/guardians.
While these rules are designed to prevent or detect future problems, the Recreation Commission would like more steps to address the current issues at SLL. It asked that SLL conduct an independent forensic audit at the league's expense. SLL President Rich Smith agreed to bring the request to the SLL board for approval. To set a baseline for all youth sports organizations in town, the commission anticipates asking each one to conduct a similar audit.
Additionally, Smith and Shawn Morin, a league volunteer, agreed to file police reports about the incident, which was reportedly done the next day. The goal was to at least officially document the incident. During the discussion, some suggested that all organizations should be registered as a 501(c)(3). Though the commission is not requiring it yet, it anticipates revisiting the idea in the future.
