The Jefferson City Parks and Recreation Commission has approved a new selection committee tasked with making a recommendation for a new director of the Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department.
At the commission meeting Tuesday, members unanimously approved the makeup of the selection committee, which will begin reviewing applications Friday. The committee will include:
• Marty Miller, commission member and committee chair;
• Cindy Layton, commission member;
• Chris Wilson, commission member;
• Willie Jude, Lincoln University;
• John Landwehr, former Jefferson City mayor;
• Andy Neidert, JC Outdoors and JC Youth Hockey Club;
• Steve Crowell, city administrator;
• Brad Bates (ex-officio), commission vice president; and
• Denise Chapel (ex-officio), commission president.
Three others will be part of the interviewing process: Richard Green, former director of Columbia Parks and Recreation; Jodie Adams, former director of Springfield-Greene County Parks Department; and Roscoe Righter, former director of Blue Springs Parks and Recreation.
In August, Bill Lockwood, who has served as director of the city's parks department for more than 33 years, announced his retirement, effective March 2016. According to commission documents, the goal is to have a new director ready to start by March.
Gail Strope, human resources director, said the position has been advertised for six weeks and the application period closes today. As of Tuesday afternoon, Strope said there were 65 applicants.
The selection committee is set to meet Friday to begin reviewing applications, with the first round of interviews tentatively set for Nov. 2-13. Personal interviews will begin Nov. 30, with the commission hoping to have a recommendation from the committee by Dec. 18. From Dec. 16 through January, the commission will hold interviews "and/or public involvement session" before giving approval of a new hire.
The document describing the recruitment process for the director states "To encourage applicants to apply, names of candidates will be released at the latest of the recommended final list or at approval of the final candidate(s)."
In other business, the commission also gave approval to the latest round of floor plans and construction documents on the planned multipurpose building, as well as authorized the construction bid to go out. Lockwood said bid opening would be planned for Nov. 5 with the Lincoln University Board of Curators expected to approve a bid at its Nov. 12 meeting.
Last year, the Parks and Recreation Commission authorized Parks staff to pursue a collaboration with Lincoln on the multipurpose building, which would operate as both a multipurpose facility and a student wellness facility on Lafayette Street.
Between LU and the parks commission, $11.1 million is available for the collaborative project, which includes a $1.5 million line of credit approved by the Jefferson City Council in December at the commission's request. According to the agreement, Parks is solely responsible for repaying that loan.
In July, commissioners approved shrinking the building's proposed footprint from 90,000 to 79,000 square feet after cost estimates had risen above the available funds for the project. By trimming the overall square footage, the estimated cost of building the facility became between $11.4 million and $13.6 million, which still leaves a potential funding gap of up to $2 million.
In September, the LU Board of Curators unanimously approved an agreement with the commission, which also unanimously approved the agreement, laying out divisions of responsibility for the planned multipurpose building or wellness center.
The commission is now seeking public input on the center, asking people to submit their ideas for the facility at www.jeffersoncitymo.gov/share_your_idea_for_the_center.php.