OXNARD : Strapped Recreation Unit Cuts Programs

Budget cutbacks in Oxnard’s Recreation Division have forced the city to discontinue many recreational programs, an Oxnard official said Friday.

As a result, while the doors of the city’s neighborhood youth centers have remained open, children who visit the centers have few programs to join, said Karen Burnham, Oxnard’s acting recreation superintendent.

And with less money to hire coaches for the city’s year-round sports leagues, the number of teams has plummeted, Burnham said.

“The impact has not been on a particular sport, but on the number of youths who can participate,” said Burnham. Just 1,125 youths joined city-sponsored teams last year, compared to 10,000 the year before, she said.

As part of the city’s effort to trim $5 million from the 1991-93 budget, $285,000 was cut from the $900,000 recreation budget, eliminating 5 1/2 staff positions, Burnham said.

To compensate for the loss of programs, the city is intent on recruiting private sponsors.

“We are still looking for someone to pick up these programs,” Burnham said.

The city’s efforts have met with mixed results, she said.

The Oxnard Boys Club has agreed to continue the youth boxing program, for example, and Fleet Feet Sports will host the triathlon in July that is part of the city’s monthlong Sports Festival.

But the triathlon is just one of 20 events in the Sports Festival, so additional sponsors will have to be found before summer, Burnham said.

Neighborhood youth centers have remained open, but only 3,200 youths attended center programs, compared to 19,000 the year before, she said.

To compensate for the loss of funding, the Oxnard Housing Authority has appealed for a $124,424 grant from the federal department of Housing and Urban Development. To qualify for the funds, the city must solicit $64,979 in matching funds from federal block grants and private sources.