Manteca is using the pending increase in minimum wage on Sunday to strengthen retention of part-time Parks & Recreation employees.
The City Council last week approved a salary matrix for part-time Parks & Recreation  workers that not only incorporates the minimum wage going from $10 to $10.50 an hour but also ups higher paid positions as well.
Manteca Parks & Recreation has experienced higher than normal levels of part-time staff turnover due to our non-competitive wages according to a staff report from both department director Kevin Fant and municipal Director of Human Resources Joe Kriskovich.
The report states, “Surrounding municipalities, school districts, and some businesses are providing part-time employment with much higher wages and the city is losing valuable employees to these sources.  Furthermore, high part-time staff turnover creates a financial and efficiency burden on the City due to the constant re-hiring and re-training of new staff.”
The salary matrix update adopted by the council is designed to” retain employees in their hired positions and allow the Parks and Recreation Department to better serve the needs of customers. “
The positions involve part-time staff that works no more than 28 hours a week up to 980 hours annually. The adopted city budget already has money set aside for the pay increases.
The new hourly rates for various positions that go into effect Sunday feature five pay steps each:
Lifeguard trainees, recreation leader I, and scorekeeper/timer will range from $10.50 to $12.77.
Lifeguard/aquatic instructor will range from $11.04 to $13.41.
uFacility supervisor I will range from $11.31 to $13.75.
Senior lifeguard/aquatic instructor and recreation specialist I will range from $11.88 to $14.44.
Office assistant will range from $12.18 to $14.80.
Assistant pool manager will range from $12.48 to $15.18.
Games official I will range from $13.77 to $16.75.
Parks/golf maintenance worker will range from $14.12 to $17.17.
Volunteer coordinator will range from $14.47 to $17.60.
Games official II will range from $14.83 to $18.04.
Pool manager, program coordinator II, after school program coordinator, general program coordinator, facility supervisor II, and recreation specialist II will range from $15.58 to $18.95.
Administrative assistant will range from $16.78 to$20.41.
Equipment mechanic assistant will range from $19.95 to $24.26.