Members of Hattiesburg City Council took the opportunity last Monday to hear from the first two of several department heads regarding individual budgets in advance of the upcoming city-wide budget.
Chris McGee, director of the Parks and Recreation Department, and Alan Howe, director of the Water and Sewer Department, laid out some of their departments’ highlights from the last year and a few wants and needs for the upcoming budget. Council members will hear from additional department heads at upcoming meetings before deciding on and approving a final budget later this summer.
Parks and Recreation Department
One of McGee’s first requests was that council members approve a minimum pay rate of $11 per hour throughout the department, as well as an increased budget for the city’s cemeteries.
“The cemeteries, the reason why they’re on there is because they haven’t been taken care of (as far as an increase) in the last two budgets,” he said. “Everybody has got something except them, so we’d like to see them being taken care of.”
McGee said the department has instituted 11 new programs during the past year, but the program he is most proud of is the continued summer day camp. This year, officials changed the focus of the camp to STEAM initiatives: science, technology, engineering, arts, and math.
The camp, which is developed and coordinated by Voiced Through Art LLC, is currently providing a multi-site camp with academic and recreational activities for up to 270 children.
“That program is wonderful,” McGee said. “It got a lot of feedback from parents – they cannot believe the price we’re offering that program.”
Goals for the department for next year include continuing to provide quality service to participants and attendees at the city’s various events and facilities.
“We want to continue to provide beautiful and maintained facilities,” McGee said. “We want to develop an after-school sports program, update our vehicles and equipment, and continue to upgrade recreational facilities.”
Water and Sewer Department
Howe asked council members to consider raising his department’s minimum starting salary from $11 per hour to $13 per hour, along with a seniority raise beginning Oct. 1. The department currently employs more than 60 workers, with approximately 36 of those making $11.
“Over half my workforce is at $11,” Howe said. “I’ve got some fabulous people in the water and sewer department, and I need to keep what I’ve got and be able to hire (other) ones to help us keep moving forward.
“I think the water and sewer department is doing a fabulous job.”
Howe also asked for additional equipment, such as a dump truck, crew cab truck and a trash pump.
“I started a third water repair crew about three or four weeks ago, and I’m having trouble keeping it running because I’ve got one trailer down there,” he said. “I’ve got one guy that’s gone, and it’s just hard to keep those 12 people working every day – I need to hire another person, and I need these assets down here.
“Some of our equipment is old anyway, so it would help with that.”
Howe said the department is down approximately 12 people, of which he needs to fill only four of those positions.
“The other eight, I don’t (need to fill),” he said. “So I’ll take that money for the people that don’t need to be rehired, and give that money to the ones that are currently here now.”
