GALT, CA (MPG) - The Galt City Council on Tuesday, March 18 approved three new job specifications, two of which are meant to help streamline and improve services in the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. 

The new positions, a deputy parks and recreation director, market manager and lead custodian, do not add a new full-time employee to the city, instead replacing other classifications. 

The deputy parks and recreation director will work directly behind current Parks and Recreation Director Armando Solis and will be responsible for overseeing the city’s special events and recreation divisions and will help “address the increasing demands of the department and provide vital support to the Parks and Recreation Director,” according to city documents.

The position will replace the Special Events Manager specification, currently held by Jackie Garcia. 

“I think this is a sign that we are growing, and we need more help,” Council member Bonnie Rodriguez said. “I think this is a great move. Armando is amazing, but he is only one man, and he needs a right-hand person to help facilitate everything.” 

City Council members said the position also doubled as a succession plan within the Parks and Recreation Department and to help put Measure Q funding to better use. 

City voters in 2022 approved Measure Q, a one-cent sales tax intended to help maintain parks, recreation facilities and public spaces. 

“[Solis] is great, but he is going to need help to help us do the things we want Parks and Recreation to do with all of those Measure Q funds,” Council member Tim Reed said. “We can’t just keep expecting him to do more and more, because one day he might just quit.”

The city will utilize funds from the reclassification of the special events manager position and will result in a $6,375 increase to the budget. 

The market manager will be solely responsible for overseeing the Galt Flea Market and will replace a vacant assistant special events manager position. 

City Manager Chris Erias said the idea was to hire someone with a “retail, wholesale, hospitality” background who could help grow the market’s revenue and provide overall management for the market. 

“My experience with retail management is that they are trained to beat the previous year sales,” Erias said. “The hope and goal is to make sure that kind of mindset is with the market manager.” 

According to city documents, the position will lead to a $20,062 increase to the Parks and Recreation Fund and a $8,368 decrease from the city’s general fund. It will primarily use funds from the reclassification of the assistant special events manager position.

“I personally am probably the biggest cheerleader to have someone specific whose only job is to focus on the market,” Rodriguez said. “This is a great opportunity that Galt has here, and we have an opportunity to bring in someone, who that is their only focus, who can bring in a fresh perspective and focus on that.”  

The market is currently managed by the special events manager. 

“When you have someone trying to wear too many hats, they are doing a good job, but there is only so much they can do,” Mayor Shawn Farmer said. “I always felt like we have to have our Parks and Recreation people focused on Parks and Recreation and our director being able to oversee Parks and Recreation.” 

“The Market is our golden goose, and we are in a position to take a swing at the fence,” Farmer added. “Instead of trying for singles, we need to be trying for triples and home runs.”

The Council also approved a lead custodian classification, replacing the current part-time facilities maintenance worker position. 

Human Resources Director Tricia Cobey said the person is currently completing jobs outside of the facilities maintenance worker classification, including working hours closer to a full-time position, and city staff thought it was appropriate to reclassify the position.

“The custodian position was working part-time for the city for a number of years and a number of hours put in per week bordered full-time, and based on the quality of service from this person it makes sense that the right thing to do was make them full-time,” Erias said. 

Reclassifying the position will cost $37,855, according to city documents.