By Leslie Collins
Northeast News
September 28, 2011

After hours at Kansas City’s community centers are officially a success.

Since offering extended hours five weeks ago, more than 2,000 youth have participated in the community centers’ late night activities.

City Council members proposed the idea after three youth were shot on the Country Club Plaza. They reasoned Kansas City’s youth needed more positive activities available to them.

“We think given the right options, young people will choose to do the right thing,” City of Kansas City Community Services Manager Mark Bowland said during a Sept. 21 City of Kansas City Public Safety and Emergency Services meeting. “Without options, young people will create options, so it is our desire to do some level of programming the rest of the year.”

Those on the committee agreed with Bowland’s suggestion and proposed a new ordinance to appropriate $140,000 to the Parks and Recreation Department for implementing extended community center hours. During the Sept. 22 City Council meeting, council members approved the appropriation.

Currently, four community centers, Gregg/Klice, Kansas City North, Tony Aguirre and Hillcrest, are staying open until 11 p.m. for sixth through eighth graders and until midnight for ninth through 12th graders on Fridays and Saturdays.

“I’ve always personally thought community centers should be open late, even before this incident (Plaza shooting) occurred,” Committee member John Sharp said.

Sharp also added he’d like to see the community centers open later year-round.

When asked about the cost of offering extended hours, Bowland said estimated costs are $4,000 per weekend.

City Council member Scott Wagner requested Bowland provide zip code information for each youth, so city council members could use the data to decide which community centers should remain open later in the future.

“What it really shows to us as a city, as a parks and rec department and as a council is as we go into our next budget year, we really have to find ways to keep them (community centers) open because in a number of areas of the city, those community centers provide the only option for constructive entertainment,” Wagner said.

This year, the city scrambled to offer extended hours with little time to plan programming, he said.

“Now, the challenge, I think, is to up the programming and figure out some other programming elements, so we can get even more interest next year.”