City leaders are expected to begin a process Tuesday that will create two new assistant director positions for the Starkville Parks and Recreation Department.
Currently, SPRD Director Herman Peters oversees the department’s programs and sports coordinators, administrative assistant, field and maintenance supervisors, janitorial and Sportsplex staff. Under a new reorganizational chart included in Tuesday’s e-packet, two new positions — a director of maintenance operations and a director of recreation and sports — would split oversight of maintenance and sports programming and report directly to the park system’s director.
The new positions are part of master planning suggestions delivered by Dalhoff Thomas Design Studio to the city and adopted this summer.
Approximately $100,000 is budgeted for the upcoming fiscal year for the two positions, Ward 5 Alderman Scott Maynard confirmed.
Ward 4 Alderman Jason Walker said he is absolutely supportive of the new organizational chart, as the new hires “should greatly improve the efficiency and function” within SPRD.
The park system report also suggests creating an advisory board of community volunteers invested in the system’s success.
Although no specific staff moves outside of adopting the plan are listed for action Tuesday, aldermen have reserved a portion of Tuesday’s planned executive session to discuss personnel.
Whether they’ll talk about SPRD-specific issues behind closed doors is unknown, but aldermen did discuss the department’s personnel in executive session last week.
The board took no action after returning to open session.
Perkins: City should advertise for new position
Ward 6 Alderman Roy A. Perkins warns the board should handle future SPRD hires or any potential employment reshuffling in the same manner it would for any other new city job: The city must first write job descriptions, determine appropriate salary grades and publically advertise them.
“We need to get a maintenance director in first, so he can reorganize our maintenance operations,” he said. “We don’t need to micromanage maintenance down there, and we don’t need to get into too big of a hurry, so we make sure we do it right.”
Perkins also said doesn’t see the need for the board to go into executive session and discuss any potential personnel moves outside of the scope of establishing the new organizational chart.
“If the board elects to do so, I want to make sure there’s a legal reason to do so, and I want to hear all the facts presented,” he said. “We know there’s an election year coming up. We need to keep a rational basis and keep the city’s best interests up front at all times — no other reasons.”
SPRD and Peters have come under fire since 2015’s city takeover of the department. Once run by the autonomous Starkville Parks Commission, the process to absorb SPRD began after it went over budget in Fiscal Year 2014-15 and couldn’t cover payroll and bill payments.
Maintenance, field and facility issues have plagued SPRD even before the takeover was finalized last year. Dalhoff Thomas’ report graded gave five of Starkville’s eight parks “poor” designations, while Patriot’s Park and the Starkville Sportsplex received “good” marks.
Only the Greater Starkville Development Partnership-maintained Fire Station Park, where the organization hosts the spring and summer community market, earned a perfect rating.
Ward 1 Alderman Ben Carver led an attempt to remove Peters from his job in July, placing the responsibility for maintenance and facility issues squarely on his shoulders.
Carver aired his criticism of Peters in public — state law would have allowed him to take the discussion into executive session — and said SPRD is “basically falling (apart) from the inside” because of an “if you don’t tell on me, I won’t tell on you” mindset plaguing its employees.
His motion to relieve Peters from his duties died at the table without a second.
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 32 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.