BROWNSTOWN
Pool and park employees in Brownstown may be receiving pay increases.
Jamie Temple, who has been the manager of the Brownstown Pool for seven years, said she read a story earlier this year about town employees receiving raises this year.
Now that the pool is open for the season, she worked with Brownstown Park Board member C.J. Foster to create a pool staff pay proposal.
Since the town’s salary ordinance has lifeguards making between $8 and $10 per hour, she proposed paying a first-year lifeguard $8.50 per hour. Each year a lifeguard returns, he or she will receive a 25-cent increase until they reach the maximum of $9.75.
Plus, lifeguards who teach lessons will be paid 25 cents more per hour for the time that they are teaching, except for the ones at $9.75 per hour.
For the concessions staff, they would start at $8 per hour for the first year and increase by 25 cents for each additional year of service until reaching the maximum of $9.25.
The proposal also has the head lifeguard making $10 per hour, pool manager at $12, concessions manager at $11 and concessions assistant manager at $10.50.
The park board also unanimously approved a proposal to increase the hourly pay of Park Superintendent Kevin Hanner to $15 and Mike Hawn to $13.50.
Now, it’s up to the Brownstown Town Council to vote on the park board’s recommendations at its next meeting, set for 6 p.m. July 1 at the town hall.
Temple said she has 17 lifeguards and 12 concessions workers. If their pay rates are approved by the town council, they would be retroactive to the start of the season.
Temple also said the head lifeguard pay would remain the same any time they work because they are testing the water and helping oversee the pool when she is gone.
As far as her own pay, Temple said she started at $11 per hour seven years ago and just now may get to $12.
Hanner also said he was at $11 per hour before receiving a 25-cent increase this year. He has worked for the town for 11 years, including the past six as park superintendent.
According to the town’s salary ordinance, the park employees’ pay range is between $10 and $15. Hanner currently is at $11.25, and Hawn is at $10.50. Hawn has worked for the town for six years.
Park board members agreed Hanner and Hawn are deserving of their increases.
“I will say you put in some pretty good days,” President Richard Burrell said. “Both are two very important park workers.”
Brian Wheeler, who will be joining the park board in July, said from his involvement with the Brownstown Baseball Association at the park, he regularly sees Hanner working on the grounds and doing maintenance. He said he agreed with the board on giving pay increases.
When the town council unanimously passed the 2019 salary ordinance in December 2018, that granted increases of 3 to 6% to all town employees, including 20 full-time workers and around 35 part-timers.
The full-time people include police officers, the street and utility superintendents and employees, the clerk-treasurer and his assistant and the janitor. Most of the part-time workers are at the pool, including concessions workers and lifeguards.
The five town council members also received raises. The town’s park board members, cemetery board members and caretaker and plan commission and board of zoning appeals members are included in the salary ordinance, too.
Full-time employee wage rates are determined by base pay plus years of service, determined by their hire date. Based on the salary matrix, employees receive between 5 and 25 cents more per hour depending on their years of service.
Clerk-Treasurer David Willey said he established the matrix about six years ago because he didn’t like how pay rates were set up before.