Tuesday, AUGUST 26, 2025 |
Photo – Saratoga outdoor swimming pool – Courtesy Town of Saratoga
Some Saratoga residents are reportedly dissatisfied with the current Recreation Director.
Carter Edwards was hired as Saratoga’s Recreation Director last fall, following the resignation of Kim Hemenway earlier in the year. During the August 19th Saratoga Town Council meeting, former council member Kathy Beck raised concerns about the state of the town’s recreation department under Edwards’s leadership.
Beck, who served as the council liaison to the Recreation Commission, presented a list of grievances to the governing body. Chief among them was a lack of communication from the Recreation Department.
Beck said a community survey showed that residents want improvements to the existing sports facilities and more fitness activities. The former council member also pushed for more Pickleball support, including additional town-sponsored tournaments.
Beck said Saratoga residents are frustrated by the recreation center’s irregular hours for athletic programs and fitness classes, and by the difficulty of finding accurate information online.
Beck accused Recreation Director Carter Edwards of being difficult to reach. Also, the former council member said recreation center staff have reportedly been rude to patrons.
Beck said she has been informed that Rec Director Edwards misuses town vehicles. The former council member questioned the rec director’s commitment to his position.
Beck also said the recreation center locker rooms are often locked to avoid cleaning and that bathrooms lack basic supplies, such as paper towels.
Beck continued to level complaints against Recreation Director Edwards, including that his poor planning contributed to the cancelation of last year’s Saratoga youth soccer season. Additionally, the former council member said members are dissatisfied with the quality and quantity of the equipment available in the recreation center.
It wasn’t all bad news, though. Beck said users of the town’s outdoor public pool reported liking the improvements made during the winter. However, swimmers said the water was often too cold. Despite their complaints, Beck said the Recreation Director refused to raise the temperature of the pool.
Beck urged the Town Council to be more transparent about what’s going on with the Recreation Department. The former council member said the governing body must take the allegations seriously or risk harming the town’s reputation.
Mayor Chuck Davis said Beck’s report gives the impression that the town’s Recreation Department is falling apart but emphasized that this was not his belief. Mayor Davis offered to investigate Beck’s complaints and discuss his findings with the former council member at a later date.
