Price city finalizes hiring guidelines

By Sun Advocate

Hiring documents for multiple internal positions with Price city were modified for final approval May 12 at the regular council meeting.
Concerns ranging from the necessity of education to the vagueness of wording were addressed.
When changes in the building maintenance department lead to the group being incorporated into the building services department, new job descriptions were established for the employees being hired into the new positions.
Four jobs were discussed by the council, with the emphasis directed to job descriptions and the type of employees Price city wants to have.
The description of a part-time custodian one position with the city was the concern of councilwoman Jeanne McEvoy.
In the minimum qualifications of the job, applicants are required to have a minimal education, less than kindergarten to grade 12.
However, McEvoy said she felt that any position with Price city should require applicants to have an education.
McEvoy pointed out that the educational system goes to great lengths to get everyone educated and accommodates all manner of physical and learning disabilities, not to mention the laws that keep youth in school.
“Now days, anyone who does not complete a program is defiant or often lazy,” commented the Price council member.
It was McEvoy’s recommendation that the verbage of the job description be changed to require a high school degree or equivalent.
“A person who completes the high school certificate is worthy of a job here,” stated the council member.
Although Mayor Joe Piccolo agreed that the change to the educational requirement was appropriate, he posed the question about people who are currently in the process of earning high school degrees.
Piccolo said he wanted to assure applicants that a part-time job such as the custodian position was open to a 17-year-old high school student, too.
The council approved changing the requirement to completion or progress toward a high school diploma or equivalent.
Councilman Joe Christman also mentioned that there was a flaw in the wording of the job prerequisite that applicants have a least one year of experience.
The council member felt the wording was too vague.
“What’s the definition of experience? A life experience? An LSD experience?” quipped Christman.
The requirement was changed to one year of related experience.
Similar changes were made to the custodian two position.
For the facilities technician one and two positions, McEvoy requested that applicants be required to learn how to run the light board in the civic auditorium.
According to McEvoy, the job description does not specify running the light board and often the responsibility fell back on her husband when late night productions were taking place.
Piccolo pointed out that recent efforts have been made to place the responsibility of operating the light system at the civic auditorium on the groups using the facility.
The council decided to specify that the job required an understanding of the light board.
After the job descriptions were put to rest, Piccolo addressed the members of a ninth grade civics class attending the council meeting and observing the process as the council sifted through the city business. While government planning can get tedious, it is important, noted the mayor.
“Sometimes it’s like reading a telephone directory, not very interesting,”added Piccolo.
In an adjoining meeting of the Price redevelopment agency, several local businesses were reimbursed for improvements to their locations.
Curves, a new exercise facility located at 95 East Main, received $400 from the agency for exterior cement improvements on the property.
Los 2 Amigos received a $23,093.40 reimbursement for phase two of a redevelopment project, while Silver Steakhouse received $4,196.25.