Recreation Department Reorganization

At a glance

Based on auto-generated captions; names and figures may be misheard.

What: reorganization of the recreation department: a new recreation coordinator position, the assistant recreation director job reinstated, and salary changes for the recreation director and assistant director.
Where it stands: Finance recommended the coordinator job description and salary 5-0 on 2026-07-13; the council advertised that salary ordinance on 2026-07-20 and passed the separate salary ordinance covering the recreation director and assistant director (with the collector positions) the same night.
Next: the coordinator salary ordinance still needs final passage after advertising. About $39,000 of added cost needs a transfer.

The coordinator combines the former program manager and senior clerk roles; pay is at the head clerk level.
Covered by the MMEA union contract and already approved by the union; any change would require going back to the union.
Councilor Vital supported it as needed support for a department that works around the clock.
Michael Ossing flagged a shortfall of about $39,000 for the three positions.

The mayor's letter said the recreation department had not been reorganized despite growing aquatics and seasonal programs; the plan reinstates an assistant recreation director and drops the program coordinator hire (the coordinator job later came back as a separate order).
See Non-Union Salary Ordinance and Collins Center Study for the pay-structure debate.

About 8 minutes across 2 meetings (from transcript timestamps; approximate).

Meeting	Minutes
2026-07-20 - City Council	3
2026-07-13 - Finance Committee	5

2026-07-20 - City Council - Suspension and advertising of the coordinator salary ordinance; combined salary ordinance for recreation director, assistant director, collector and assistant finance director passed in one evening.
2026-07-13 - Finance Committee - Recommended the coordinator job description and salary ordinance, 5-0, with suspension and advertising.
2026-06-22 - City Council - Mayor's ordinance amendments for the recreation coordinator position referred to Finance; seven-step salary ordinance for the recreation director and assistant recreation director advertised.
2026-06-08 - City Council - Job descriptions for the recreation director and assistant recreation director approved 10-0 after Finance's 5-0 recommendation.
2026-06-01 - Finance Committee - First review as part of the mayor's salary package. Assistant recreation director job description approved 5-0 and the pay structure returned in seven-step form. Staff said the reinstated assistant job needs no union negotiation, but the senior clerk role does; Michael Ossing urged an update on how the department will be funded.