MONROE — It has been over six months since longtime Parks Director and City Forester Paul Klinzing died suddenly, and some have criticized the city for its handling of hiring a new parks supervisor in his absence.
Board of Park and Recreation Commissioners President Brian Saugstad attended a meeting of the Monroe Common Council on Oct. 1. It was the first meeting back in City Hall after over two years. Saugstad stood in the renovated space during the public comment period. At first, he complimented the redone space. Then, he shared concerns about the limbo placed on interim Parks Supervisor Matt Skibba, parks maintenance employee David Weckerly and Public Works Director Al Gerber, who have been overseeing the department.
“We have a great parks system and we’d like to keep it that way,” Saugstad said.
He said the topic of a new parks supervisor was discussed during a meeting of the commissioners on Sept. 19, with Gerber and Skibba in attendance. Saugstad said in discussions with Skibba, the interim supervisor expressed concerns over how the added duties have affected his job as recreation supervisor.
Skibba declined to comment on the issue when contacted later in the week.
Saugstad went on to explain that Gerber also felt he could be performing tasks better, but that he can only dedicate roughly 30 percent of his time to parks because of his full-time position.
The city Salary and Personnel Committee chose in closed session which applicants’ skills deemed them appropriate to call in for interviews in early July. Members Richard Thoman, Jeff Newcomer and Michael Boyce and City Administrator Phil Rath and Assistant City Administrator Sam Liebert interviewed candidates during a committee meeting July 24. The group, along with fellow committee member Brooke Bauman, continued interviews the following day. According to meeting minutes, Bauman, Newcomer, Thoman, Rath and Liebert were joined by Director of Public Works Al Gerber to conduct finalist interviews Aug. 28.
The pool of applicants was narrowed down to three finalists. However, when Alderman Rob Schilt asked for an update on the hiring process during a council meeting Sept. 17, Rath said the issue was routed to the city Finance and Taxation Committee to be discussed as part of the budget process.
Rath said the Salary and Personnel Committee recommended the matter be sent to the city finance committee because of concerns over the cost of replacing the parks supervisor. When the process first began, members expressed concerns over the financial impact of filling the position, which would cost the city roughly $55,000 plus benefits if the applicant were hired at the recommended pay rate.
Now, as a part of the budget process, the city will be “taking a step back and evaluating whether the position is needed,” Rath said Monday. He noted that within the parks department, there is “overlap in skillsets” among employees, which provides an opportunity to not fill the position, instead separating the duties among other people already working there.
He added that the reason for the delay was meant to make the process easier. It would be more difficult to accommodate a new parks supervisor within the budget once hired. The need to balance expenses could lead to layoffs or a deduction in anticipated hourly wage rates for other city employees.
The finance committee will meet today at 5:15 p.m. for the sole purpose of considering the 2019 budget. Rath said while the committee could make a recommendation after its initial budget talks, it would be difficult to fill the position without first finalizing the full budget.
Saugstad was followed by city resident Barb Moser, who said that though she is retired from the recreation department after decades, people still affiliate her with the city and that she has been approached about the issue of hiring a new person for the restructured position of parks supervisor.
She noted that sometimes the council does not receive feedback from the public and felt it was important to point out that the noticeable absence has made council members and the city appear “unprofessional” in its handling of the hiring process.
Moser said other residents have voiced concerns about the “leadership being split,” echoing Saugstad’s comments about the strain of additional duties being placed on individuals already employed full-time with the city.
Alderman Jeff Newcomer said later in the meeting that he wanted council members to receive an update from city staff on the parks position and the next steps in the hiring process.