Trustees Volley Over Tennis Pro Bid

Tempers flared at Tuesday night as residents came out on a frigid night to discuss the future of the  Tennis Pro. The Village Board has been drafting a request for proposal to help define the role of the Tennis Pro and to seek competitive bids for the position. Some residents said that it was unclear as to what initiated the request or whether the RFP was mandated by state auditors or a suggestion.

Trustee Lee Rosner and Mayor Garant said that the auditors recommended the RFP for the position as a best practice but it was also suggested that the request was made by the Tennis Board at the Country Club. At one point during the meeting Mayor Garant said that the RFP was mandated by the state.

Port Jefferson deputy treasurer Stacy French said that when the Village took over the Country Club 10 years ago they had never gone through an RFP process for the Tennis Pro.

"This is our first one and it's a good practice to at least have one," she said. "We've never done it."

Rosner confirmed that it was a "strongly recommended practice by the auditors."

"It's not a mandate," he said. "It's a strongly recommended practice."

The current Tennis Pro, Joe Arias, has been employed at the Country Club as the director of tennis and head tennis professional since April 1999, according to his professional resume on LinkedIn.

Arias is not a full-time employee of the village; he is an independent contractor. In the past the contract had been renewed annually without a formal process of review.

When the issue was being debated, a volley of sorts occurred between Port Jefferson Country Club Tennis Association members who came out to support and defend the current Tennis Pro and those who wanted to look at other options. The debate got heated when some members of the tennis club suggested that the RFP was an attempt to put the current Tennis Pro out of a job.  Members from both sides of the issues made passionate pleas.

"We want the best for the club," said one member. "If Joe is the best he will get selected. We're just asking to get a wider selection to benefit all of the members."

A member who had been in the club for twenty years said that every year for the first ten years, they had a different Tennis Pro until they contracted Joe Arias. She said she worried that the board was giving up on someone who has worked out for so many years.

"We couldn't keep anyone," she said. "It makes you really nervous that maybe we'll get someone new next year but they may not be that good and the next year after it will be someone else."

Tennis club member Lou Capone was concerned that significant changes to the Tennis Pro and staff at the club could lead to an increase in fees.

"It's such a bargain," he said. "I pay less than $500 per year to play as much tennis as I want to play."

When asked by the public if the specs for the RFP were out, Rosner said they were close.

"Probably in a matter of a day or two," he said.

Rosner said that after fielding proposals, the Tennis Pro Selection Committee would make the final bid selection. They will try to limit the interview process to ten applicants and then cut that number down to a final three.

He said that they will probably come up with a recommend for a first selection and a back up to present to the board of trustees.

"The board of trustees will ultimately have the hiring decision to make," he said.

Mayor Garant said that the process was meant to find the best person for the job.

"We want to make sure we do the best job for the members of the tennis club," she said. "This is really about making sure you folks have the best pro that you can get for the money."

Patch will continue to follow up on this story as it develops and more information becomes available.