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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 06-23-2005-5mORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: June 23, 2005 SUBJECT: Resident Caretaker for Little River DEPARTMENT: Personnel, Purchasing and Recreation and Parks Action Agenda Item No. .`~j-m _ anal Park PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): Lori Taft, Recreation & Parks Director, Extension 2673 INFORMATION CONTACT: Elaine Holmes, Personnel Director, Extension 2550 Pam .)ones, Purchasing Director, Extension 2650 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To authorize a resident caretaker arrangement for Little River Regional Park, BACKGROUND: Little River Regional Park opened in December 2004. Part of the park plan has included relocation of the Heritage Hills house to the park property and its renovation for planned use as a caretaker residence, The renovation now is almost complete and the house will be ready for residency by the end of .tune, The specific elements of the proposed resident caretaker arrangement are outlined below: The Resident Caretaker would be a temporary, part time County employee regularly scheduled to work about 15 hours a week, in accordance with the County's policy limits on temporary employment. The hourly rate paid would be $9,34 an hour, the proposed new County Living Wage. 2, The duties of the employee would include opening and closing the park gates, unlocking and cleaning the public restraoms, checking the office, shelters and maintenance base periodically for security, 3, The employee would be required as a condition of employment to live in the house on park property and meet other terms and conditions of employment and residency as detailed in a written Residence Agreement, (The Residence Agreement is in place of a lease.) 4. The Residence Agreement, among other things, would provide that: • The residence is provided rent free, • The employee would be responsible for the cost of utilities (propane gas, electricity, telephone). • The employee would be responsible for routine home maintenance such as cleaning, changing furnace filters, replacing light bulbs, mowing grass around the house and the like. The County would be responsible for any capital repair such as that for HVAC systems, electrical systems, building structures or the like. • The County would be responsible for insurance, as it deems advisable, on the building structure, The employee would be responsible for any insurance on personal property, • The specific job duties, responsibilities, work schedule, work hours and time that is not work time are defined. • The employment may be terminated at will and the residency may be terminated with 30 days notice. Under the Interlocal Agreement with Durham County for Little River Regional Park, the resident caretaker arrangement also requires the approval of the Durham County Board of Commissioners, With Orange County Board of Commissioners' approval, staff will take the proposal forward to Durham County for its approval. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The estimated total cost of the temporary employment is about $7,800 a year. The cost would be split 50/50 between Orange County and Durham County. Funds for this are included in the recommended budget for 2005-06. Since the house is recently renovated, it is not anticipated that there would be significant maintenance costs for several years, The park operating budget provides for possible unanticipated repairs up to $2,000, In later years, capital repair costs in the $5,000 to $10,000 range may need to be budgeted, These costs also would be split with Durham County. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve the proposed resident caretaker arrangement as outlined in this abstract, and authorize staff to employ a Resident Caretaker (temporary part time) and enter into a residence agreement with that temporary employee, subject the County Attorney's review, to serve as Little River Park Resident Caretaker.