Oxnard to Review New Parks Jobs : Government: The creation of three positions may not occur because of budget constraints that are forcing the department to eliminate programs.

The Oxnard City Council on Tuesday is scheduled to reconsider a recently approved plan to create three new positions in the Parks and Recreation Department at a time when the department is eliminating most of its programs because of budget shortages.

The plan to restructure the department, approved by the council Nov. 5, calls for eliminating three management positions with a combined yearly salary of $158,052, and creating three new positions with a combined salary of $155,136.

At first glance, it would appear that the department is saving nearly $3,000 a year with the changes. But under the restructuring plan, the city manager has the discretion to enhance the salaries of the new positions by almost $20,000 without the council’s approval.

The combined top salary for the three positions being eliminated is $160,464. But the top salary for the new positions is $174,144, personnel records show.

Oxnard city employees usually reach the top of their pay scales in three to five years, personnel analyst Bruce Dandy said.

Last Tuesday, Councilman Michael Plisky asked for a reconsideration of the council’s approval of the restructuring, and Mayor Pro Tem Gerry Furr backed his motion.

Neither Furr nor Plisky could be reached for comment. But Manuel Lopez--the only councilman to vote against the restructuring--said his colleagues may not have realized that the restructuring would eventually cost the city thousands of dollars.

“I find it difficult to believe the council would knowingly approve spending money in a department that is reducing its services. We can’t pay top salaries when the city is in need,” Lopez said.

In his report to the council, Parks and Recreation Director Gary Davis said the changes would save the city money.

However, Davis did not state in his report that the savings would be obtained by eliminating three positions held by employees at or near the top of their pay scales and placing three employees at the bottom of higher pay scales.

In an interview, Davis acknowledged that the changes eventually would cost the city money.

Davis said most of the initial savings were the result of the recent elimination of the recreation superintendent position, one of the three jobs eliminated. Gordon Vinther, who retired in March, was at the top of his salary scale, Davis said.

Earlier this year, Parks and Recreation lost 32 positions to budget cuts aimed at saving the cash-strapped city $5.2 million over the next two years.

To save money, the department also terminated sponsorship of most community events it had been sponsoring. Among them were the summer swimming program, the South Oxnard Community Center, the Carnegie Cultural Arts Center, the Santa Claus Float in Oxnard’s Christmas parade and the Fourth of July fireworks show.

City Council members instructed Parks and Recreation officials to find private and nonprofit organizations to take over the city programs.

As a result of this mandate, Davis proposed creating the position of assistant director, one of the three positions approved Nov. 5. Davis said this person would take over most of Davis’ administrative duties, freeing him for fund raising.

Lopez said he could not support the proposal because he is against putting the city’s recreation programs into private hands.

“We are killing the city’s heart and soul,” he said.

The council also approved the creation of a senior parks maintenance supervisor position.

Davis said the three positions probably would have been filled from within the department.

The council eliminated a recreation superintendent and a parks-maintenance supervisor position, and downgraded a recreation superintendent position to recreation manager.