(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City Council in Atlantic has a lot on their plate for Wednesday’s 5:30-p.m. meeting, at City Hall. Among the action items, is an Order setting the date of a Public Hearing as August 2nd, 2023, to repeal Chapter 24 of the City’s Code of Ordinances, entitled “Parks and Recreation Board,” and discontinue the Parks and Recreation Board. In his agenda notes, City Administrator John Lund said that after a review, the City of Atlantic’s Personnel and Finance Committee recommended “with all respect due to the Board and the service of its members,” that the Parks Board be dissolved. Their recommendation follows the Committee’s meeting on July 10th, when they reviewed the situation of losing yet another Director for the Parks & Rec Dept, with regard to last month’s resignation of Wyatt Adderton.

On a related note, the City Council, Wednesday, will act on passing a resolution “Creating the Position of Code Enforcement and Animal Control Manager, approving a job description, and setting compensation for FY 2024,” following the Personnel & Finance Committee’s recommendation to re-orient the City’s limited resources towards Code Enforcement and Economic Development. In doing so, the Committee has recommended that the duties of Parks Director be split between the immediate Supervisor, the Public Works Director, and a new position, Parks & Recreation Coordinator, will be a revamped position of the current Assistant Parks and Rec Director. John Lund notes “this will save the City $71,904 and an potential City health care plan enrollee.”

The Committee recommends the following:

• The Parks Coordinator position be set at $50,000, and increase of $4,419.71 for the Assistant Parks Director position.
• Resetting wages for seasonal parks staff to a range of $14-to $17 per hour.
• A promotion for Code Enforcement, Animal Control, and Wastewater Operator Kris Erickson, to Full Department Head (an increase o $4,853.35)
• Adding a second Code Enforcement Officer (Cost to be determined)
• Compensation increase for the Public Works Director to offset increased responsibilities with the Parks Dept. in addition to the three other departments he currently supervises, aligning overall compensation above those he supervises, and for merit for the cost-saving proposal relating to the 2024-2030 Street Improvement Program, an increase of $11,025.00.

The Council will act on passing a resolution “Creating the Position of Parks & Recreation Coordinator,” along with the job description, and setting compensation for FY 2024, and a resolution “Setting Wages for the Atlantic Parks and Recreation, Public Works and Code Enforcement and Animal Control Departments.” You can view the rest of the Council’s agenda here: July 19, 2023 City Council Meeting