Full-time slot will manage landscaping contracts

Peachtree City will hire a new full-time public works employee to oversee landscaping and other contracts that will be used to replace the 19 public works and four recreation landscaping/maintenance positions that were eliminated two weeks ago.

In fact several of those furloughed employees will have a shot at the positions, said Public Works Director Tom Corbett.

Though the City Council voted unanimously to approve the contact manager, the vote to hire a part-timer to staff the city recycling center drew a split 3-2 vote with Cyndi Plunkett and Doug Sturbaum against.

Plunkett said she felt public works could reassign one of its existing full-time employees to handle the task, or perhaps rotate the employee sharing that duty. She also complained that during numerous trips to the recycling center her identification has never been checked to verify that she is a Peachtree City resident.

Corbett said his cart path, street and stormwater crews are already at a minimum staffing level and he didn’t think he could spare an employee from either of them. For example, the crews have to do tree and shrub trimming as maintenance on the cart paths even when they can’t be constructing or rebuilding paths.

“We just cut 23 people out of public works,” said Mayor Harold Logsdon. “You’re getting down to the bare bones.”

City Manager Bernie McMullen noted that if the city didn’t staff the recycling center dumping of limbs and downed trees by contractors could become a problem, as the city pays for such to be chipped into mulch.

Corbett noted that technically a stormwater staffer can’t perform the duty because they must handle only stormwater issues because they are employed by a separate entity.

The part-time job will entail about 14 hours a week and will be paid roughly $13 an hour.

The estimated $840,000 in savings for next year’s budget by furloughing the 23 employees takes into account the two positions being hired by the city, officials said.

Council also approved a separate agreement for Keep Peachtree City Beautiful to operate the recycling center.