VIEWPOINT
City had no part in GBSA endorsement
By Edwin A. "Buz" Eddy Gulf Breeze City Manager

We received a lengthy, anonymous letter regarding the involvement of the Gulf Breeze Sports Association (GBSA) in the recent City Council election. While it is very difficult to respond to anonymous letters, this is not the first letter or inquiry we have received on this subject. I thought your readers might benefit from my perspective on this matter.

GBSA serves the City, its residents and business owners well. The people that make up the GBSA membership organize and coach hundreds of children from within our City and without every year. Given the challenges of this type of activity in today's society, their work is remarkable.

The City owns the fields and facilities that, for the most part, serve as the venues for GBSA sponsored activities. GBSA also uses facilities owned by the Santa Rosa County School Board.

Most law enforcement officials or school teachers will tell you that today's youth need organized recreational activities. The days of open fields and "sandlot" games organized by the local youth with a trashcan lid for second base are gone. Our residents with kids that participate (or watch their friends participate) benefit from the fact that the GBSA organizes teams and leagues and plays their games in our parks.

Our business owners benefit from the fact that the games are played in the City.

GBSA is allowed to use our facilities when they have a "sports season" in progress. When the season is complete or during hours when GBSA is not using the fields, our facilities are open to others. To say that youth recreation and organized team sports are an essential part of a safe, healthy and relatively crime free community is an understatement.

If the City chose to "run" the sports as City leagues as opposed to the operation of the leagues by GBSA, the cost would be much higher and the result would not be as good.

In order to facilitate this successful youth recreation program, you can ask questions at the Rec Center about GBSA activities, you can register for a GBSA league through City staff at the Rec Center. We help GBSA with record keeping an administrative support. GBSA pays the City for these services.

We have not always agreed with everything GBSA has done. We offer input when asked either formally at GBSA meetings or informally as day to day decisions are made. We encourage our employees to volunteer, coach and assist children in GBSA or other sports or church activities. The fact that a City employee is on the GBSA Board is beneficial to the City, the individual's family and GBSA.

Recently City resident, J.B. Schluter was elected to the City Council. J.B. is also a member of the GBSA Board. The GBSA Board endorsed his candidacy. The City obviously had no part in that decision. During the campaign, soccer team photo packets that were distributed by City staff from the Rec Center contained, without our knowledge, campaign literature. As soon as we were advised that this was the case, the distribution of photo packets by City staff from the Rec Center was stopped. City staff had no input in deciding how the packets should be distributed once they were removed from the Rec Center.

The writer of the anonymous letter also asserted that the City required trees that we gave away as part of a reforestation grant to be delivered. The deliveries were then handled by an individual using a City vehicle and trailer that had campaign signs on them. This isn't true. The individual who offered to deliver trees for people that needed help did so on his own and with his own vehicle and trailer.

GBSA is an asset to our City. They organize and manage wholesome, athletic activities for our youth in a way that is fun and requires much volunteering and involvement from the community. We are very pleased that GBSA is in the City's parks helping with the education and development of our youth. I would be happy to meet with anyone who has questions about the relationship between GBSA and the City to discuss these matters further.