Council debates full-time recreation position

MARENGO — The Marengo City Council debated the need for a full-time activity director last week, whether the city can afford it, and what the city should require in a candidate.

City Administrator Karla Marck asked the council for feedback on a job description for a full-time activities director who would manage and develop outside contracts, vendors and project budgets, assure regulatory compliance and economy of all programs, supervise city parks and recreation facilities and coordinate volunteers.

The director would apply for grants as approved by the Parks and Recreation Board and the City Council and would inform and advise the Parks and Recreation Board about programs and problems relating to recreation programs, the aquatic center and parks.

The director would notify the Marengo Recreation Commission of all complaints, the job description says.

The new director would report to the City Council and not to the MRC board, said Mayor Adam Rabe.

“MRC should be more of an advisory board,” Rabe said. Most of the people on the MRC board aren’t even coaching anymore.

“If the council pays them, they should report to the council,” Rabe said.

“I don’t see how we could afford it,” said Councilman Travis Schlabach.

The city paid a part-time director $22,000 five years ago and had to pay a pool guy to take care of the city pool in addition to that, Councilman John Hinshaw said.

But that doesn’t mean the city can afford a $45,000 salary, plus benefits, for a full-time person to do it all, said Schlabach.

The money is budgeted for this year, but Schlabach is skeptical that the city can come up with the money every year when projections show budget deficits in the city’s future.

“That’s kind of why we raised the franchise fee,” said Hinshaw. “Whatever the budget deficit is, it’s not from this.”

“If we’re going to hire them, someone has to figure out how to lay them off when we can’t pay them,” Schlabach said. “I think we’re going to go into the next budget season $20,000, $30,000 short.”

The cost of the director is in this year’s budget, said City Administrator Karla Marck.

Schlabach doesn’t disagree. “But I don’t want to hire them in January and lay them off in July.”

Schlabach said he has no issues with the job description presented to the council, but he wondered if the city has enough recreation to warrant a full-time director.

“If they’re doing their job right, it will be full time,” said Councilwoman Sue Peterson.

“Volunteers are struggling to handle everything,” Rabe said.

Schlabach remained skeptical. “I’d love someone to prove me wrong.”

Hinshaw suggested that the council add a requirement that the director, as manager of the aquatic center, be certified in water safety instruction so he could train lifeguards for the pool. The city would save money by not having to hire someone else to train lifeguards, Hinshaw said.

“You’re really narrowing the applicant pool if you do that,” said Rabe.

Hinshaw also suggested that the director have strong social media skills.

The new director wouldn’t be limited to athletic activities, said Marck, though talk of hiring a full-time director is partly the result of new adult leagues that volunteers are starting in the city. “It’s about activities,” said Marck, and would include future artistic activities as well.

“The intent is to expand the recreation,” said Marck.

The next step will be to discuss the job description with the Recreation Commission Board, Marck said.