Parks & Rec Registration Process Explained

To the Editor,

There has been an ongoing frustration with the registration process for some of the Parks and Recreation programs. This is an attempt to explain with some history what we do and why.

Our brochures note that mail-in registrations have the following restriction. The mail cannot be postmarked before a given day. That is it! When the mail is delivered to us, we number the envelopes as we receive them. This is the order in which they will be processed.

Apparently some people think that being first on line at the Post Office will ensure that their letter will be received sooner or ahead of others. All of the incoming mail at the Post Office goes into large canvas bins which are then sent to Wallingford, I believe, re-sorted with other mail. So there is really no advantage to being first in line. You simply want to be sure your postmark is dated the day you mail your envelope.

One more thing. Mail with the same dated postmark can arrive on different days. It is unfortunate, however, it is internal to the postal system. Our process is to number the mail as we receive it.

If you have some suggestions as to how we might improve the process please write to us. The following is a history of things we have tried in the past:

Initially: Registrations done by phone.

Results: Worked well until town started growing.

Problems: Staff could not handle. Additional phone lines not feasible. Fees not received at the same time requiring follow-up.

Next: Added restriction that if payment not received in three days registration voided.

Problem: Difficult to enforce. Many arguments.

Next: Went to in-person registrations at our office.

Problems: Location of the office (Town Hall South). Limited parking. Complaints from other offices in the building.

Next: Changed registrations to morning.

Problems: Complaints from working mothers who could not get there.

Next: changed registrations to evening and at the schools (more parking).

Problems: People started lining up at the office at 3 pm. Working parents wound up at the end of the line. Schools complained that parents were coming and lining up while school was in session.

Next: Went to mail-in registration for the first week for all programs. No postmarks can be before a certain date. It is a type of lottery since it is the randomness of the postal system along with the postmark that determines the registration order.

Problems: People line up at the postal service thinking that their position in line will benefit them. Actually all the mail is tossed into a large bin and combined with other mail.

Other solutions: Lottery system.

Problem: Same person could be eliminated in successive years.

Conclusions: We have more registrants than openings. We need a method that is fair to all. The mail-in appears to the best method available to us because we do not have the staff for onsite signups; we cannot add weekends or hours to the workday because of union rules; it eliminates traffic through the building in which we are not the only occupants.

Larry Haskel

Parks and Recreation Commission

Canaan House, Fairfield Hills, Newtown  April 12, 2000