Interesting minutes from the June 2, 2008 Rec. Committee meeting.
6) Soccer Club coaches compensation
Mr. Burdette said the soccer coaches, even though paid by the Soccer Club, are part time employees of the Town of Mount Pleasant. They are regulated by the Town’s system regarding the pay scales. Mr. Burdette said the issue has come up that the Soccer Club wants to pay the coaches more that the Town’s scale will allow. Mr. Burdette said one option is that they would no longer be employees of the Town and become employees of the Soccer Club.
Mr. Swails said the issue is that the Soccer Club wanted to increase the salary of two (2) employees and they were told that could not happen because they were employees of the Town.
Mr. Summerford explained that the Town has a hierarchy of employees and interact with the Booster Club in terms of how they go about hiring the soccer staff. He said it was concluded that they needed a director of coaching who would work under the soccer coordinator. Mr. Summerford said he has expressed to the Soccer Club many times that the Town staff runs the program. He said the Booster Club’s job is to promote soccer and raise funds to offset those things they do not get in the budget process. He said this union was formed in 1998 and the Town staff does the operation, makes the decisions, and controls the finances. Mr. Summerford said staff intends to live within the pay scale. He said there was recently a change of Booster Club presidents and he again explained to them how it works.
Mr. Swails said he has read the agreement with Hungryneck Soccer but has not read the agreement with Mt. Pleasant Soccer. He said he read some of the bylaws and did not see anything in the bylaws saying that they control it. Mr. Burdette said it is now Mt. Pleasant Soccer Club and Hungryneck is one of the elements of the program, the travel league. There was discussion on the contract at this point. Mr. Summerford said they are employees of the Town.
Mr. Burdette said they have three (3) options: 1. leave it like it is; 2. cut ties with the soccer club and they can rent the fields; 3. the Town does the registration and regulates the games, etc. and hires the coaches. Mr. Burdette said it would be a good idea to take a look at all the booster clubs and what their purposes are; and make sure they treat all clubs the same.
Mr. Summerford said they encourage the development and creation of these booster clubs because they help the Recreation Department. He said the Department enables the clubs to make money and then they give it back to the program. Mr. Burdette said they are a support organization just like the Booster Club at Wando High School. Mr. Burdette suggested that they set aside time this summer and look at all the booster clubs. He said the idea is good, they raise money to support the kids and help with travel but there has to be rules.
Mr. Swails said he did not have a problem to just leave it like it is. He said if you receive a couple of comments you do not change the world. He said he was happy with Mr. Summerford’s explanation. Mr. Swails agreed that it is working and they do not need to look at the whole thing or “throw the baby out with the bath water”.
Mr. Gawrych said if they deviate from what they have it may come apart. He said they should hold fast to the government run option. Mr. Summerford said the major concern initially of Hungryneck Soccer supporters was that we would severely dilute the elite, travel teams and cause them to lose the status that so many had worked so hard to attain.
Mr. Santos also agreed that it should remain the same.
