Council sets hearing on proposed athletic-field coordinator position after wide debate

The City Council referred a proposed ordinance to create a seasonal athletic-field coordinator/trainer position to a public hearing on Aug. 12, 2025, after extended debate about scope, cost and whether existing staff could provide the same training. Councilors and staff described the proposal as a seasonal, skills‑training role to raise in-house capabilities in field maintenance, pesticide and fertilizer application, irrigation troubleshooting and equipment use. Manager Golden and Parks leadership said the position would be seasonal and focused on upskilling current crews, protecting recent capital investments and reducing reliance on outside contractors. “Bringing this forward, people are going to be working next to somebody… learning something,” the manager said, describing a model in which a trainer works with city crews during start-up and close-out seasons. Supporters, including Councilor Blanchard, said the city has made major investments in parks and athletic fields and that a temporary specialist to standardize maintenance and mentor crews is a modest cost compared with repair and replacement dollars. Supporters noted ARPA-funded park improvements and said in-house capability reduces recurring contractor costs. Opponents and skeptical councilors pressed operational questions: whether the department already employs supervisory staff who should provide training, whether the duties duplicate existing job descriptions, how many hours the position would work, whether the role would trigger benefits (workers regularly scheduled over 20 hours can be entitled to benefits), and whether the city should require existing supervisory staff to obtain the necessary applicator certifications. Councilor Russia advised limiting the exchange in the pre‑hearing stage and urged questions be reserved for the public hearing. Administration representatives said the job would be seasonal and that they expect most activity in start‑up and close‑out months; a rule‑making detail in the job code (a “2,500” classification used for casual/seasonal hires) led to additional clarifying questions about hours and benefits. The manager said he would return with refined details after the public hearing and/or in the three‑week follow-up where the council asked for further specificity. The council did not adopt the ordinance at the July 22 meeting; a public hearing is scheduled for Aug. 12, 2025.