The Merrill Personnel and Finance Committee on Tuesday unanimously approved the creation of two “shared” positions.
The first position was an idea brought to the committee by Parks and Recreation Director Dan Wendorf and Transit Director Rich Grenfell. Wendorf was not in attendance due to other obligations.
As Grenfell presented, the position would be full-time, while splitting part-time employment between the Parks and Recreation Department and the “Merrill Go Round” transit system. The employee would serve four hours in the morning as a parks laborer and then four hours in the afternoon with the transit system, assisting with a bus route that is currently problematic.
“As it stands now, children who use the transit to get home from school aren’t getting home until 5 p.m. or later,” Grenfell explained. “We are just having a lot of issues with that route and are dissatisfied with the current service we are providing. This position would help make things run a little smoother by alleviating some of the stress and time crunch.”
According to City Administrator Dave Johnson, the transit system has historically experienced difficulty in hiring and maintaining part-time drivers. Those who are willing to drive part-time are retirees who can only work limited hours to avoid interfering with retirement benefits. Otherwise most qualified applicants opt for full-time employment, over part-time. In addition, the three full-time drivers presently employed are long-term employees with high-end vacation accrual. In turn, this produces more hours to be filled by part-time drivers.
Currently, the Parks and Recreation Department has a greater demand for laborers in the summer months whereas the transit system has a higher demand during the nine-month school year.
In a letter to committee members, Johnson stated he feels the city would be well served by creating a full time position which would entail primarily driving a bus September through May, and then working as a laborer for the Parks and Recreation Department during the months of June through August.
“The idea here is to think outside the box when filling positions we have difficulty in keeping filled,” Johnson added.
A second shared position was presented to the committee by Johnson.
That position would be created to compensate for pending retirements of the custodian at T.B. Scott Library and the City Hall Maintenance Supervisor position. Currently, the City Hall maintenance supervisor is working only when needed due to medical reasons and will be retiring very soon. The library maintenance supervisor is expected to retire at the end of the year.
“Originally we were going to replace this position,” Johnson stated, referring to the maintenance staff position, “but it makes more sense to combine with another position if possible. This doesn’t mean we have less hours for people to work, but it does mean we just pay one person. If we are able to combine now or at the time of retirements, we can make it work and save a little bit of money while we’re at it.”
Upon getting the nod of approval from the committee, both positions will be passed on for Common Council approval in March.