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Council approves gymnastics specialty pay and creates human resources & risk manager classification
Summary
The council amended the salary schedule to authorize specialty pay for staff holding USA Gymnastics certifications and added a human resources and risk manager classification, approving a retired annuitant for the HR role; council discussed insurance and safety oversight before voting unanimously.
The Ojai City Council adopted a resolution amending the salary schedule to authorize specialty pay for recreation staff who hold required USA Gymnastics certifications and to add a human resources and risk manager classification, voting unanimously to approve both measures.
Recreation staff presented the gymnastics recommendation as a response to council direction from November to restore and sustain gymnastics programming. Recreation manager Miss Holman said the certifications are required to continue and expand existing programming and that specialty pay recognizes the additional training staff must maintain. Holman said staff met with gymnastics employees and a parents group during preparation of the proposal.
Council also approved adding a full-time human resources and risk manager classification to the salary schedule. City manager Ben Harvey said the city had relied on a management analyst to carry out HR and risk duties and that hiring an experienced HR/risk manager—citing a CalPERS-retired annuitant with prior municipal experience—would professionalize the function, reduce risk and accelerate compliance with best practices. Councilmembers expressed concern about liability for higher-risk programming such as gymnastics; Harvey said staff had met with the city’s insurance authority, would look at an umbrella policy to raise available limits, and would seek third-party reviews of gymnastics operations as part of implementation.
The council voted in favor; a roll call recorded unanimous support from Councilmember Rule, Councilmember Meng, Mayor Pro Tem Lang, Mayor Gilman and Councilmember Whitman. Council directed staff to finalize insurance arrangements and continue working with the gymnastics staff and parent group as programs resume.
Why it matters: The actions formalize pay recognition for certified gymnastics instructors and allocate dedicated HR and risk-management capacity to the city, steps council said will reduce exposure and improve program administration and compliance.
