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05-18-1983 - Workshop o o CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MAY 18, 1983 MINUTES This workshop was called for 10:00 A.M., to discuss the Recreational Director. Mayor Ledbetter called the meeting to order in the Community Center. ROLL CALL Mayor David Ledbetter Councilman Neil Asting Councilwoman Gigi Bennington Councilman Jack Spencer City Attorney Josel Alvarez City Clerk Nancy Blazi Police Chief Earl Baugh Present Present Present Present Excused Present Present Councilman Neil Asting had some questions regarding the legality of the title of Parks and Recreation Department in lieu of Building and Grounds, to which the City Clerk provided the requested information. He stated that on September 22, 1982, the City Manager sent a letter to all council members and Board persons, renaming the department from Building and Grounds to Parks and Recreation, to which there were no objections. The budget and name change were both approved by council. It apparently never came formally before the council but was sent in the form of a letter. Mayor Ledbetter advised that at the time this name change came about, it was estimated that $12,000 would be needed to complete the ball field, all phases of it. At that time, Mr. Avery wanted a part-time man and part-time Recreation Director, which amounted to the same $12,000~ that it would take to complete complex, including baseball, soccer and football. Councilman Asting asked that Mike Avery be called to attend thls workshop so that if there were any questions concerning his department, he could answer them. Councilman Asting stated that $1,200 has been put in the budget for a Recreation Director, which is approximately $100 per month. There is also a provision in the budget for improvements, other than buildings, in the sum of $1,500 which is to go toward the construction of the ball field. He also stated some of the local contractors have donated their time in clearing the land for the ball fields and they will continue to do so. He feels a lot of work and support has gone into this program and it would be a shame for it all to go down the drain because the council cannot get together and name a part-time Recreational Director~ whose salary has already been provided for in the budget. Councilwoman Bennington stated it was her understanding the man was tentatively already hired before this was approved - he came from Michigan, lasted only two months, was hired as a laborer and part-time Recreation Director. According to the budget status for the month of April, she stated the Recreation Department was allotted $94,000, as of April 30th they have spent $60,000, leaving only $34,000 left. They are averaging spending $8,606 per month, they have five months left in the year and they will run out of money in August. Councilman Asting mentioned the revision for an additional $16,500 that was added to the original $94,000. Councilwoman Bennin~ton added that there is $12,000 from the development, but it has not been appropriated to the Recreation Department and they should not be spending more money than has been allotted to them. Councilman Spencer asked if there was a line item for the part-time Recreation Director. Councilman Asting stated yes, line item 72.13. o o Councilwoman Bennington advised that out of the $1,200 allotted, there was $200 left. She advised the Board that a letter was received from Mike Avery on April 30th, stating that he could not take the position of part-time Recreation Director on a temporary basis because of his work load. On the March 21st meeting, Councilman Spencer moved that the Parks and Recreation Board be authorized by the City Council to be responsible for the athletic program for the City and they were to provide the Council, within one month, a written report of how they were conducting the program and their relationship to EAA. At the same meeting, Councilman Asting asked that in the motion Mike Avery be designated as temporary director, that being part of his normal activity and not having to put in many hours of overtime. She questioned that the Council asked the department head, in his own department, to act as temporary director until a permanent solution could be found, and he, in turn, advised the Council that he could not do it because of his work load and suggested a volunteer be appointed - which she felt was not right. Councilman Asti'rg stated the Council had no right to tell Mike Avery he had to take the temporary position, thereby causing him additional working hours. Councilwoman Bennington advised Councilman Asting that it was to have been part of Mr. Avery's normal activity, not overtime hours. She suggested that he, being head of the department, could adjust his schedule to handle this position or write the Council advising thenthat his work load would not permit him to handle the responsibility. He did not state the reason why in his letter to Council. She stated that he was given a direct order by the Council and should not be allowed to deny it. Councilman Asting stated that the department supervisor should be available when his crews are working. Councilwoman Bennington advised that Mr. Wadsworth was not available when his crews are working. Councilman Asting stated he was out there some times with them. Mayor Ledbetter suggested the Council settle down and try to resolve the problem more calmly. He stated there is a petition with the citizens names on it, there is money in the budget for this expenditure. Councilwoman Bennington asked if the position had been advertised. City Clerk, Nancy Blazi, advised it had not. Mayor Ledbetter asked three questions of the council: (1) Has the position b-een properly advertised; (2) What is the job description; and (3) Are there any resumes on file? City Cler~ Nancy Blazi~ answered no to all three questions. Councilman Spencer stated that what they are discussing is a Recreation Director to help the children with the ball games. Probably everything has not been done 100% correct, however, the Parks and Recreation Depart- ment did submit a letter to Council, recommending Dennis Norman for this position. They have also received a letter from Tommy Wyatt, advising that he was interested in the position. He did not feel it was necessary to advertise for a $100 a month position. Mr. Avery's budget has been questioned, however, he has appeared before the Council explaining the unusually high expenditures. There is $200 left in the budget for the part-time Recreation Director. He feels the Council should go ahead and appoint Dennis Norman as part-time director, and spend the additional $1,000 or whatever it will cost. Councilman Asting agreed with him. Councilman Asting questioned Mike Avery as to the $200 left in the budget for the director, what happened to the other $1,000? Mike Avery answer.ed that the money was put back into general salary. He also stated that this director needs to go on year round, not just for the summer season. -2- City Council Workshop Minutes May 18, 1983 o o Councilman Asting stated that there is a good recreational program in the city now and he doesn't want to see it go down the drain. Edgewater is no longer a retirement community. The children of the retirees live here now and they need to be provided for with recreational activities. Councilwoman Bennington advised the Council that she has no objection to recreation, however, she objected to the fact that EAA was supposedly carrying on the athletic program and now they no longer are handling it. Councilman Asting stated that all they want to be now is a fund-raising organization and he agreed with that decision. Councilwoman Bennington felt that this position would soon become a full-time position inasmuch as Mr. Norman is working now every night and on week-ends. Mr. Avery advised that Mr. Norman is working from 5:30 to 10:00 every night and different times on week-ends. Councilwoman Bennington stated that by next budget, this job would become full-time; why hire a part-time man now - why doesn't he keep doing it the way he is presently doing it? Councilman Asting stated if he was going to be putting in those hours, he should be entitled to some pa~ Councilwoman Bennington objected bec- ause it hasn't been advertised, it is a matter of procedure and should be done correctly; it should be set up right from the beginning; it involves the whole community. She advised she has gone to other counties and has been informed that Edgewater has a full-time Recreation Director. Councilman Asting said that the word has been around the City long enough and anyone that was interested could apply for this position, advertising is not necessary. The petition from the citizens of the City with over 500 names on it, shows the concern of the people regarding this issue. Mayor Ledbetter advised that the petition before the Council could not be certified due to the fact there are childrens names on it. Councilman Asting stated the people could go out and get a certified petition, if they needed to do so. Mayor Ledbetter agreed, however, he stated that they were here to decide what to do about the Recreation Director. Councilwoman Bennington felt that the decision should be done right, certain procedures should be followed. There is no job description as to what the Recreation Director would be doing. Councilman Asting contradicted that they do have one. He felt there was no difference between the duties and the job des~ription. Councilwoman Bennington stated they have nothing formal from Mr. Norman that he is inter.ested in the job, only his verbal feelings toward the matter. She has asked the Council to call a meeting and sit Mr. Norman down and discuss the matter with him. Councilman Asting suggested that Mr. Norman be called to the meeting. Mayor Ledbetter asked that Mr. Wadsworth be called to the meeting, also. Councilman Asting advised that he asked that the Parks and Recreation Department, in addition to the Recreation Director, be on the agenda for this Special Meeting. It was not on the agenda. City Clerk Nancy Blazi, advised that she thought the workshop was just for the director. He advised that he spoke with Sue Koser and asked that it be included in the workshop meeting. Nancy said she was not aware of that. she thought it was for taking action on the director, only, and the Special Meeting was to take action on the workshop. She apologized for any misunder- standing that may have occurred. Councilwoman Bennington stated she respected the views of the people who signed the petitirn stating their opinion of Dennis Norman, however, the Council should not be swayed by pressure, but to look at the situation in respect to the benefits for the whole community. Councilman Asting said the Council was to represent the will of the people. Councilman Spencer felt that the parents know what is going on at the ball field and if they give the Council such a strong recommendation, it should be taken seriously. They feel Mr. Norman is the right man for the job and they feel he is very interested and very capable. -3- City Council Workshop Minutes May 18, 1983 - o o He stated that the Council should not delay the decision on appointing a part-time director based on the fact that probably a full-time director will need to be hired in the future. Mr. Norman is trying to do a job without the official title and authority to do it. Even if the Council does not give him a salary, he should be given the title so that he will have the authority to talk with people and make decisions concerning the position. A full-fledged job description is not needed, at this time. Councilman Asting added that in addition to the parents supporting Mr. Norman as the director, the Parks and Recreation Board recommended him, a 1 so. Mayor Ledbetter felt they had been handed a stacked deck by the Edge- water Athletic Association because he supported their request to be funded by the City to apply for their non-profit organization. They were willing to run the athletics. After they got their non-profit organization, they were ready to dump it back in the city's lap to run the recreation program. A lady in the audience stated that all the people of the community want is support in the athletic program. Mr. Norman is doing a good job, everyone has agreed to that, he is only being compensated $100 per month for his time and assistance, and now the Council doesn't want to give him the tile and appoint him as part-time Recreation Director. She doesn't understand why the Council won't support the program and appoint Mr. Norman to the position. Councilwoman Bennington advised that the Council didn't appoint Dennis Norman. Mike Avery appointed him. Mr. Avery stated he was appointed as a baseball director, not an athletic director. Councilwoman Bennington contradicted that she was referring to the motion that was made and the letter he sent to Council. It was a temporary director. Council had from the 21st of March when the motion was made, to the 30th, when the letter was received from Mr. Avery that he could not handle the position. There was not enough time to settle the matter. Mr. Norman and Mr. Wadsworth entered the meeting. Councilman Asting asked Mr. Norman how long he had been working with the recreation program for the City. He answered since the first of the baseball season. He works four to five hours a night, close to thirty hours a week. Councilman Asting stated he is due some remuner- ation for the interest he has displayed. Councilman Spencer asked Mr. Wadsworth if Mr. Norman's duties at the ballpark are interfering with his duties at the city job? Mr. Wadsworth advised no, his job at the waste water plant is his primary job. Councilman Asting asked Mr. Norman if the job with the recreation program has interf.ered with his job at the waste water plant: He answered, not at all. Councilman Asting commented that it has been said that this would be double-dipping, however, he is out there working in addition to his regular job. If he was getting the money without doing anything, that could be double-dipping: A lady from the audience asked that the Council ask Mr. Norman what his ideas are for the Recreation Department. Councilman Asting thought that was a good idea. Mr. Norman first reviewed his qualifications as having either played or been involved in baseball and sports for ten to twelve years. He has played an active part in organizing many softball tournaments, which involves fifteen to twenty-five teams in a baseball tournament, including scheduling games, scheduling umpires, setting up and running concession stands. He understands the behind the scenes aspects of doing the job. Right now, besides scheduling the games, he handles the care of the uniforms, all buying and purchasing for the concession stand for the EAA, accountable for all money that comes in for the concession stand, makes out payroll for concession stand help. Concerning future programs, -4- City Council Workshop Minutes May 18, 1983 o o the youth soccer league is a big money-maker with little overhead, the youth football league can be run to break even. You have to set your events wherein you will make money or break even. On the events where you make money, the money goes into the account and if you should have an event that does not make money or where you have to spend money for said event, the money is in the account for that purpose. If an event should put too much burden on the account, you cancel that program. It would be up to the Recreation Board to decide things like that. He would work closely with them and give them his opinions and help them in any way he could. Additional programs could be a fund run for joggers, arts and crafts; for senior citizens a beginner bridge and advanced bridge; adult softball leagues, volleyball leagues. It was Mr. Norman's advice that you go into this program gradually, and in three or four years you could have a really nice program. Frank Opal, a member of the audience, stated he has been here from the very beginning and before the program was certified. He has nothing against what is going on here, but the way it was organized - he can see things falling apart. A lady from the audience stated that nothing is falling apart - they are growing. Every organization has problems, there is controversy over things, but it is going forward, not falling apart. Mayor Ledbetter clarified the stacked deck deal by stating that is his idea, not the Councils. He used that as a figure of speech. He feels he supported the organization and it fell short of what was promised the Council that they would do. That is what he means by a stacked deck. Councilwoman Bennington stated that this is the first time the EAA has come to the Council, as a group, and said they need Council's help. A lady from the audience stated that they have gone to the Parks and Recreation Board, they have talked to Mr. Wyatt several times. They took the steps they knew at the time to be right and they are now here stating their position to the Council. Councilman Asting asked how many children participate in the athletic program. Mr. Norman advised between 300 and 500 and a lot of kids came in late and they could not accommodate them - more programs could be set up if the facilities were available. He advised that the football field needs to be cleaned and sod put in. The land is there, the money is there to sod it, they are waiting for the authority to have it done. Mr. Avery advised that on June 19 and 20th there is a county program fon the ages of 16 to 21, they pay all expenses, a foreman comes out with them, and they will lay the football field. He advised them he could work them for six to nine weeks and he will have plenty of help and it will be ready for use when the guys come in. Mayor Ledbetter asked Mr. Avery why the Council had not been notified of this. Mr. Avery answered that he had not been ready. Mayor Ledbetter asked Terry Wadsworth to furnish the Council with a letter stating that if Mr. Norman is appointed to this job that it will not interfere with his job at the sewer plant. Mr. Wadsworth agreed. Mayor Ledbetter added that none of the athletic department work will be done on his regular eight hour shift with the city of Edgewater. Mr. Wadsworth agreed. Councilman Asting moved to adjourn the workshop, Councilman Spencer seconded. Workshop adjourned at 11:00 A.M. Minutes submitted by: Susan Mista -5- City Council Workshop Minutes May 18, 1983 ~