ROGERS -- Two city departments will start a new phase this summer as a combined unit with a new director.
Jim White, 59, will start as director of the Parks and Recreation Department in July. White is the chief operating officer for the Rogers School District.
Barney Hayes, longtime director of the Parks Department, retired last year. Rick Stocker, director of the Recreation Department, retired recently.
"When faced with the fact that Barney and Rick retired, it was a really short list of people that I felt could help us move through the next phase," Mayor Greg Hines said. "The list was really one person -- Jim White."
White's experience managing facilities and construction contracts with the School District gives him the skill set to do the job, Hines said. White also has been involved in the recreation side of the job through coaching, Hines said.
White said he wants to make the department more efficient.
"Some of my work at the School District has been from an efficiency point of view," White said. "We want this department to be efficient, but responsible also."
Merging the two departments is an example of efficiency, White said.
White has been offered $103,500 for the position, said Thomas Dunlap, city human resources director. Directors for the individual park and recreation departments previously were paid in the low $90,000 range, Dunlap said.
"We have some experienced people in the parks and recreation departments," White said. "My goal is to go in and listen to these people and try to look at how we can be more efficient with the resources we have."
Partnerships with entities such as the School District is a way to save money, White said.
"I have served on joint use of facilities committees," White said. "I have assisted with grants to be shared between the city and schools."
The construction of a sand volleyball court and exercise stations at Kirksey Middle School are examples of cooperation between the city and district, White said.
"That is a great example of a partnership to bring some things in that we don't have to pay tax money on," White said.
The two city departments were separated in 2010 "for various strategic reasons. There was a substantial amount of park expansions, and the expertise was needed to manage those contracts," Hines said.
Parks and Recreation employees will be able to work together more easily with one department, Hines said.
"There is a great need for intentionally combined coordination between the two departments," Hines said. "The best way to accomplish that is to have an organizational structure with one leader."
Andrea Brinton, interim director of the departments, said combining them will make projects more cohesive.
"In reality, we have never really separated because we have always had to work together," Brinton said.
NW News on 04/18/2016