By BOB SHRALUKA
WZBD.com
A new parks superintendent is expected to be named for the City of Decatur in the next few days and with it will come some minor restructuring within the street/sanitation department.
Mayor Dan Rickord said at Tuesday night’s city council meeting that the selection process for the parks job was down to three applicants. After some additional interviews, Rickord said, he “will take a name” to the city parks and recreation board, which meets Monday.
A total of 20 applications were originally received for the new post.
When longtime operations manager Jeremy Gilert resigned that post in October, Schultz – Gilbert’s assistant for seven years – was named to replace him.
Mayor Rickord, however, decided the operations manager job had grown unwieldy, with two many duties.
So it was decided to split them, with Schultz to assume handling of the street and sanitation departments with a post of parks superintendent to be created to oversee the city’s numerous parks and recreational areas .
The mayor said at a previous meeting that he wants “someone solely focused on the parks.”
Ryan Lehrman will continue as the city’s manager of the REV Sports Complex, a city post he was hired for in 2022.
NEW HIRE: The board of works and safety gave Schultz permission to hire a new city employee.
A vacancy recently was created when Christopher Jones left the street/sanitation department to join the city’s full-time fire department ranks.
Meanwhile, discussions are ongoing about some changes involving crews chiefs within the city employee ranks.
There will be no hires, just some shifting of duties.
Meanwhile, the mayor offered up high praise for the city employees.
“These guys, all of them, have been doing a great job,” he said. “It’s a busy month for them,” referring to snow removal, frigid temperatures and water main breaks.
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