CYPRESS : Boys & Girls Club Suspends 5 Workers

Preparing for what it is calling a massive reorganization, the board of directors of the Cypress Boys & Girls Club on Wednesday suspended all but two members of the club’s staff. The move came after the resignation of the club’s chief executive.

Executive Director Ray Thomson submitted his resignation after holding the position for nearly nine years. In a special meeting called Wednesday night, the board voted 13 to 11 to suspend all but two of the remaining seven employees until its next meeting on June 22, when a major reorganization will occur. They also decided to turn over control of the club’s programs to the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, which has yet to accept the offer.

The employees, all part-time staff, were relieved of their duties but will be paid until the board’s next meeting in two weeks. In the meantime, two remaining members were allowed to come to work to keep the club in operation.

The action was cast as a cost-savings move by new board President Don Kennedy, but dissenting board members questioned the decision.

Board member Nancy Whitson, who voted against the proposal to suspend the employees, was upset about the move. She said none of the parents of the 1,100 club members had ever complained about operations and that a reorganization--which some board members fear could spell the club’s demise--is unnecessary.

“Why would a community want to get rid of something that is so valuable?” she asked.

Kennedy countered that the club is not going to be closed, but instead will be run more efficiently. Other city programs will also be able to use the club’s Moody Street building, he said, thus providing more space for recreation.