$12.2M YMCA Purchase Approved; Wayne Considers Background Checks For Parks Employees

WAYNE, NJ — The Wayne Township Council approved a bond measure that will fund the $12.2 million purchase of the YMCA building at their last meeting, as they prepare to make the Pike Drive facility into a new community center.

Officials are also looking to require criminal background checks for all Parks and Recreation employees and volunteers in anticipation of the Y takeover, as the parks department would run the new community center — and staff there are likely to interact with children.

Council members introduced this ordinance on Aug. 21, and will hold a public hearing on the proposal at the next meeting on Sept. 4.

The proposed ordinance on background checks (No. 51 in this document) applies to all coaches and adults who supervise children in town-sponsored sports programs, and other youth activities that would take place at the new community center such as field trips, classes, and camps.

It also includes adults who would supervise children in programs that are not run by the town, but would take place on town-owned properties. Background checks would be required every three years.

The estimated date that the township will take over the building is Nov. 1, and the $12.2 million bill will mostly be paid for by the township Open Space Fund — which residents already pay in to, so officials say there will be no new taxes to fund the purchase.

At the latest meeting, Mayor Chris Vergano reiterated that many current YMCA staff will be offered a job with the township in the new community center.

"The employees of the Y are very nervous about what's going to happen when the township takes over," he said. "The only closing that is going to occur is a real estate transaction closing. The Y is not going to be closed....after the (real estate) closing, it will be the Wayne community center. That's the change that people will see."

He said that the current Y staff have received an email explaining that the town will post job openings for the new community center, and that an open house has been scheduled for these employees to get more information.

"It is not a small undertaking to take over a very large building with a lot of moving parts," Vergano said. "We're trying to learn all the moving parts. And I will tell you, the Y has been extremely cooperative, and I thank them for their years of serving the community. And hopefully we can do as good a job as they have over the years."

The mayor also said that the town will provide an update on membership fees at that September meeting.