Chris Curtis

Chris Curtis 118 N. 14th Avenue Dodge City, KS 67801 View Map Phone: 620-225-8214

"This is probably the biggest across-the-board increase (for parks and rec)," Recreation Superintendent Chris Curtis said.

Increases range from 8 percent to 100 percent.

"Minimum wage went up to $6.55 an hour July 24," Curtis said."Sometimes when you have a lead instructor at $7.25 an hour, if they're supervising someone at $6.55 an hour, you have to adjust the supervisor up a little more."

In 2009, Curtis said, the minimum wage will increase to $7.25 an hour.

"We're probably one of the few jobs that pays minimum wage," Curtis said."We pay most jobs higher than that, but start at minimum wage when we're hiring 14- or 15-year-olds."

In the gymnastic classes, Curtis said, class prices have been stagnant for several years.

"The overall cost of doing the program increased a little bit, so we thought it was time to increase those," Curtis said.
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Even with an increase in recreation fees, Curtis said not all of the programs will cover their costs.

Especially with little money to spare elsewhere in the budget, which has resulted in cutting jobs through attrition and re-evaluating overtime policies.

"We're not trying to make it all up in recreation, but we will still run some operations in the red," Curtis said.

The Salina Parks and Recreation Department, which oversees the program and manages the pool, tried twice this season to offer adult lessons but got no takers, said Chris Curtis, recreation superintendent.

"We realize lessons are an important part because those are your future users, and they're going to be potential (life)guards.We've got to keep a supply of guards on hand," Curtis said.

Thus as planning continues for a new aquatic swimming complex to replace the 50-year-old pool, there could be incorporated a diving well and traditional lap lanes.

"You've got to have deep water to have the resources for lessons and those type of training things," Curtis said.

Through the first three sessions of swimming lessons, there have been 325 children signed up, he said.Each summer the city offers four sessions, each for up to six levels of ability, starting with beginners.

At each session children meet four times a week for two weeks.Fridays are makeup days for lessons canceled during the week.

"Some of them will try to progress, all the way through the summer," Curtis said.
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Curtis said to help families who have trouble affording the $15 fee for a session of swimming lessons, the city reduces the fee for those who meet the guidelines of the federal free and reduced price school lunch program.

"We started looking at the calendar, and it really came to a head Thursday or Friday -- they were supposed to be done by the 15th," said recreation superintendent Chris Curtis.

The company that submitted the low bid, Quality Pools of Harrisonville, Mo., had proven difficult to get hold of or to pin down on when it would start work, Curtis said.

So, park officials decided to call on the company that had submitted the second-lowest bid, Westport Pools of Maryland Heights, Mo. Westport had bid $40,643, nearly $15,000 more than Quality Pools' bid of $25,900.

But, the company was able to start work immediately and had a crew in Salina working Monday, Curtis said.

"The timing worked out well for them, and they had just finished a job and had a crew available," he said.

The delays have pushed back the scheduled opening of the pool by a week, from Saturday to May 31, and Curtis said he expects that new opening date to be met.

Workers are filling expansion joints and then will repaint the pool, though it takes a few days for the paint to cure before the pool can be filled.

"Barring bad weather, we should be OK," he said.

The delay will not affect any swimming lesson schedules, or other pool programs.

Curtis said he did not anticipate any problems staffing the pool.
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Some amount of turnover is common for the pool, Curtis said, and "with the issues last year, we had a bigger need.

Chris Curtis 118 N. 14th Avenue Dodge City, KS 67801 View Map Phone: 620-225-8214

Chris Curtis Recreation Superintendent 620/225-8160

Chris CurtisMember at Large - SWDodge City Parks and RecreationPO Box 880Dodge City, KS 67801Phone: 620-225-8160

Member At Large - SW, Chris Curtis, Dodge City Parks and Recreation

For More Information Contact: Chris Curtis or call (620) 225-8160