By ZEINAB NAJM
Times-Herald Newspapers
HEIGHTS – Just two weeks after agreeing to change polling locations from Canfield Community Center to Crestwood High School, the City Council voted to reverse that decision.
The reconsideration of moving the polls from Canfield to Crestwood was added to the agenda and approved 5-2 in a vote. Councilmembers Tom Wencel and Nancy Bryer voted against.
Voters in precincts 11 and 12 will continue to go to Canfield when voting in elections following the decision made March 8.
Parks and Recreation Director Kimberly Laurencelle — formerly Constan — again spoke about the impact the decision would have on the gymnastics and youth programs, including the revenue.
“Just so you know, we just took in a check for a little over $11,000 for one session, and we have two to three sessions a year,” she said. “This check also reflects some of the time being during the strict COVID restrictions, which map lower class numbers because they had to lower them because of the requirements in the room. I believe that the city needs the revenue considering all of the comments that have been made at tonight’s meeting, and it’s really important to have this program continue.”
The program currently has 200 students ages 4 to 18 years old, and was on track to have $50,000 in revenue, pre-COVID. At a previous meeting, Laurencelle said that on election days, it is difficult to move heavy equipment the night before and put it back the day after, which also causes damage when moved.
When the proposed change from Canfield to Crestwood was approved 4-3 during the Feb. 22 meeting, Council Chair Dave Abdallah, and Councilmembers Hassan Ahmad and Mo Baydoun voting against. Bryer, Wencel and Councilmembers Ray Muscat and Bob Constan were in favor.
City Clerk Lynne Senia said the Crestwood School District has already agreed to have the poll location for Precincts 11 and 12.
At the March meeting, Muscat said the residents reached out and have spoken, saying they want to keep it where it’s at, so he has to go with the residents.
“I kind of told them, ‘Look. It’s right next door. Parking lot is empty. They don’t care,” he said. “They want to vote where they’ve been voting and then the disruption that’s going to be caused at the clerk’s office doing this outweighs, I think, a gymnastic class.”
Baydoun said he also got calls from residents over the change. He also said he doesn’t want to be held hostage over a check or just gymnastics, and wants to see the facility at Canfield be more than just gymnastics.
“I know Director Laurencelle goes above and beyond and does great, great things,” Baydoun said, “but maybe the gymnastics program can be moved over to the Richard A. Young Center, or can be moved to a completely different place so that it’s never interfering with voting.
“I want you to know, 60 years of voting in one precinct and being able to move it over gymnastics. It is your highest voting precinct in the entire city.”
Abdallah said that if anybody can pull off the adjustment it is Laurencelle.
“In my personal opinion, not having gymnastics for a day or two, honestly, I don’t think it’s the end of the world,” he said. “But I’m sure the Crestwood Board of Education would be open to the idea of maybe having that gymnastics class held at Crestwood on that particular day.
As the discussion continued, Baydoun brought up possibly having the gymnastics program at Riverside Middle School because there is already equipment there.
Wencel responded by saying that would be impossible because all the equipment would have to be moved, risking further damage since not all the necessary equipment is available at Riverside.
(Zeinab Najm can be reached at zeinabnajm92@gmail.com.)