By Ana Celerier Salcedo

The Housing and Community Development committee met on Tuesday, May 30, to listen to Susan Yerkes, the Director of Parks and Recreation for Somerville, discuss the waitlist process for programs currently being offered and the future of more community programs.

Yerkes explained that there is a capacity for any of the programs currently offered by parks and recreation, whether it be free or at a cost. Once capacity is met, all further applications are sent to a waitlist system within the MyRec program. The manner to be moved off the waitlist is a first come, first serve system.

Regarding community inquiries into expanding swim lesson opportunities and engaging an outside vendor to provide more community services, Yerkes noted that swim lessons are offered for all students in the Somerville school system and added that they are in the process of hiring lifeguards and swim instructors in order to be able to match the staffing needs required to have more programs offered.