IBEW Local 723 (Fort Wayne, IN) members may be affected by City Reorganization Plan

Posted on Tue, Jan. 11, 2005

No decision on privatizing parks department jobs
Discussion was expected this month, but the board is researching the idea.
By Cindy Larson
clarson@news-sentinel.com

The future of an idea to privatize four parks department jobs remains uncertain until more research is done.

In November, about 60 Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Department employees attended a board meeting to hear about the plan. At that meeting, Parks Director Dianne Hoover presented an idea to fold four parks department fleet maintenance jobs into the rest of the city’s fleet management contract, which is managed and run by First Vehicle Services. As proposed, the four parks employees could keep their jobs by becoming First Vehicle employees. None of the four employees liked that idea.

The consolidation with the city’s fleet was proposed to save about $57,000 a year. But Bruce Getts, business representative for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 723, which represents fleet employees, questioned any savings. He told the board that, under the union contract, the four employees would have to be offered jobs within the parks department.

The board didn’t take any action. It was expected to be discussed this month.

“We’re still researching all that,” Hoover said. “It won’t be on the agenda this month. We’re still putting some numbers together.”

At that November meeting, Hoover also said the parks maintenance department would move out of Lawton Park in about two years. That announcement upset some parks employees who didn’t appreciate hearing the news at a public meeting.

Compounding the situation, two long-term parks employees, Jerry Byanski and Larry Walter, retired within a week of each other. Combined, the two had more than 70 years of experience. Byanski was superintendent of parks; Walter was manager of horticulture and landscape.

All these issues converged at the same time.

“When (the proposal to privatize) was presented, I thought the timing was poor,” Deputy Mayor Al Moll said. “We were in the midst of union negotiations… We have a very strong relationship with that union.”

Moll said the administration might support a plan to privatize “if there was an organized, well- thought-out plan” – and as long as employees don’t lose jobs. “We’re still waiting to see that well-thought-out plan,” he said.

Moll also said he thought Hoover’s presentation should have focused on the reason for the proposed move. Mayor Graham Richard believes there might be a better use for that land than as a maintenance facility, Moll said. He said different ideas have been proposed, “none of them are cast in concrete,” but include using the land for an I-Max theater, a space camp tied in with nearby Science Central, or a community greenhouse facility.

Moll also noted that residents’ No. 1 priority is preserving the parks we have. Any decision on changes to Lawton Park should be made by the park board and should have public input before any decision, said longtime parks advocate City Councilman John Shoaff, D-at large.

Park board President Charles McNagny agreed. In the case of Lawton Park, he said it’s valuable to discuss openly possible options and for the board to consider new options.

Hoover initially tied changes to Lawton Park with a proposed Salvation Army community center across Clinton Street from the park. Although a grant for that center fell through, the city still is hoping to redevelop that property, formerly an OmniSource scrap yard.

As for the departure of Byanski and Walter, McNagny said, “I’m always concerned at seeing well-qualified and dedicated park employees leave their jobs.”

But he added, “At some point you have to expect people will consider other options.”

The issue of low employee morale also concerns McNagny. He said the board will “try to work with the director and all the employees to make the system the best system we can.”

Byanski’s and Walter’s retirements sent up a red flag to Shoaff. “Good morale is very important for probably any city staff. The fact two top people have left years before normal retirement just might be a clue.”

Meanwhile, Hoover is trying to move the department forward. “I’ve been meeting with the union leadership and meeting with the management at Lawton on a regular basis just trying to answer some questions and concerns,” she said. “Two retirements … happened back to back – that creates some angst and anxiety. I can certainly understand all of that.”

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