HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 2/7/2013 (9)City of
Fort Collins
MEMORANDUM
DT: February 7, 2013
TO: Mayor and City Councilmembers
FR: Darin Atteberry, City Manager
CC: Wendy Williams, Assistant City Manager
Marty Heffernan, Director of Community Services
RE: Park and Trail Rangers
City Manager's Office
City Hall
300 LaPorte Ave.
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.221.6505
970.224.6107 - fax
fcgov.com
The 2013/2014 budget included funding to hire our first Park and Trail Rangers.
In the budget offer, staff anticipated hiring two rangers and having them
managed through the Natural Area Ranger Program. Recently, Parks staff has had
conversations with Community Services Officer (CSO) Bud Bredehoft about the
Ranger position. Bud is very interested in the position and Parks staff believes
Bud is an excellent choice to be the inaugural Park and Trail Ranger. Bud has over
30 years of experience as a police officer for the City and he has worked very well
with Parks over the years. Bud's experience and training removes the need for
Natural Areas Ranger supervision. Bud would report to Parks management and
he would supervise the other Park and Trail Ranger. Bud would also be able to
contribute immediately because he has all the training required for the position
(plus some) and he does not need to go through the background check process.
One complication is that Bud is at the top of the CSO/Ranger pay range and the
two Park and Trail Ranger positions were budgeted at the low end of the pay
range. This creates a salary and benefits shortfall of—$22,000 for the two
positions in 2014. There isn't a shortfall for 2013 because of the time it takes to
fill the positions.
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One way to manage the funding shortfall is to hire the second ranger as a
seasonal position. Seasonal rangers are used frequently by other agencies. This
has the advantage of saving money.and providing coverage during the higher use
warm weather months. The disadvantage is attracting and keeping a good
seasonal ranger, particularly given the extensive training and background
checking process invested in the ranger. The other option is to hire a second full
time ranger and identify other resources to fund the $22,000 shortfall and bring
that to Council in the 2014 budget exception process.
I intend to move forward with hiring officer Bud Bredehoft as our first Park and
Trail Ranger and I will work with Parks staff on the best way to fill the second
ranger position. Please let me know if you have concerns with this course of
action.
We are very pleased Council has supported this new ranger program and we are
excited to begin.
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