SALEM — The parks commission has updated the job descriptions for two of the department’s positions.

Following an executive session for the discussion of personnel matters the commission voted to amend the Park Foreman job description to state the possession of a commercial driver’s license (CDL) is desired but not required and that a wage differential will be paid if the employee has the license, and to update the description of the Union Park Laborer position to clarify that a CDL is not required and there is no wage differential for possessing one. The board also approved a motion to support a reimbursement to an employee for a city payroll error.

While the affected employee was not named, Mayor Cyndi Baronzzi Dickey explained that the employee was paid a wage differential for possessing a CDL, but the union contract specifies that a wage differential is only paid if possessing a CDL is required for the job, so the employee had to pay that money back. However, it was felt that this was unfair to the employee as it had not been his mistake.

“We don’t think that was right. He shouldn’t get it from now on, but he should not have to pay it back because it was not his mistake,” said Dickey.

Dickey and the commission said that they were unsure of the exact amount to be reimbursed.

Parks Director Kelli Pastore said that the Sherwin Williams Keep Ohio Beautiful Grant the department received to restore the handball court would include not only new paint but chemicals to clean and remove the old paint from the court; and to fill in cracks and seal the court.

“It will look brand new when it’s done,” said Pastore.

Pastore also told the commissioners that a new automated sunscreen dispenser had been added at the Centennial Park Pool to help ensure that sunscreen is available to everyone at the pool.

“A couple of months ago I read an article about melanoma rates and somewhere had a portable sunscreen station. We already had sunscreen we’d give to kids if they need it but it’s not visible for them to help themselves, so someone would have to ask and if they didn’t know we had it, they’d have to ask,” said Pastore

Pastore said that the automated dispenser, which is similar to an automated soap dispenser, was made possible by an anonymous donor who paid for the dispenser through the Salem Community Foundation. She also said that the department was having signs made with educational information about the importance of sunscreen and dangers of melanoma to be put up with it, and that people had already been utilizing the dispenser. Both Pastore and the commissioners thanked the anonymous donor for their contribution.

During her report Pastore said that revenue from the Centennial Park Pool was still on the rise year-on-year. From June 1 through July 22 in 2023 the pool made $13,218.99, of which $2,152.34 was revenue from the concession stand. In that same time last year, the pool made $24,327.75, of which $4,405.75 came from the concession stand, which has increased again to $27,765.75 and “a little over” $4,700, respectively, so far this year.

“Just in two years we’ve more than doubled what we’ve taken in in a month and a half,” said Pastore.

The parks commission will meet next at 5 p.m. on Aug. 27.