Town of East Lyme

Job Description

Date: October, 2022

Position: Parks Foreman/Turf Specialist

Department: Parks and Recreation

FLSA: Non-exempt

Reports To: Director of Parks and Recreation

Supervises: Parks and Recreation Maintainers

NATURE OF WORK:

Organizes and supervises the day-to-day activities of the Parks maintenance crew. The position requires independent judgment, initiative, maturity, observation, leadership, strong communication and inter-personal skills, accuracy and planning ability. Regular duties of the Parks maintenance crew involves care, maintenance and construction of Town parks, recreational areas, facilities and public grounds. The Parks Foreman/Turf Specialist position actively participates in completing work in addition to supervising others performing the same work.

Essential Functions:

• Oversees Parks maintenance operations and staff.
• Establishes priorities and assigns work to meet schedule, seasonal or emergency needs.
• Implements a plan to systematically maintain parks, recreational facilities, and equipment.
• Supervises the maintenance of playgrounds, beaches, recreational facilities, trails, open spaces and athletic fields and courts.
• Inspects facilities for safety and functionality and initiates corrective actions as necessary.
• Maintains athletic field irrigation equipment.
• Supervises mowing, trimming, trash removal, and care of trees, turf, shrubs, and planting beds.
• Maintains and implements the Department’s Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
• Program and applies herbicides and pesticides in accordance with laws and best practices.
• Develops, implements, supervises and tracks training program for Parks and
• Recreation Maintainers, seasonal and part-time employees in all operations, supplies, and equipment, material and safety procedures.
• Assists the Director of Parks and Recreation in implementing and enforcing
• Department safety procedures and regulations.
• Maintains inventory of assigned materials and supplies and submits purchase requests.
• Assists the Director of Parks and Recreation with preparation of Department’s budgets, creates purchase orders, and processes Departmental invoices as needed.
• Assists the Director of Parks and Recreation and the Master Mechanic/Fleet Manager with major and minor equipment purchases.
• Recommends to the Director of Parks and Recreation personnel actions such as employment, promotion and discipline of employees
• Inspects department and contractor work for conformance with specifications and standards.
• Coordinates maintenance operations with Public Works or other departments as necessary.
• Lead contact for off hours emergency calls from emergency dispatch
• Performs Departmental work planning. This includes preparing daily work orders for departmental staff, checking sites for potential Department work, meeting with residents with regards to issues, developing lists for work that needs to be done by the Department and any other planning work as directed by the Director of Parks and Recreation.
• Maintains work, time and material records as needed
• Reviews and processes Parks crew timesheets.
• Regular attendance is required of this position.
• Ability to be available for work outside normal working hours.
• Performs skilled repair and welding work in maintaining machinery and equipment.
• Coordinates the scheduling of maintenance and repair of heavy equipment, vehicles and machinery with the Highway Mechanic.
• Participates in Park planning by advising on facilities and equipment availability and needs.
• Operates trucks and/or other heavy equipment with plow attachments to plow and salt Town roads, parking lots, grounds, and facilities as needed.
• Coordinates Snowplowing responsibilities for Parks and Recreation Employees.
• Performs such other related duties and responsibilities as required.

****** The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work

that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them

from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES:

• Associates Degree in Landscape Planning, Turf Sciences, Horticulture or other closely related field is desired.
• Five years experience in parks and grounds work with at least two years in a
• supervisory capacity is required.
• Connecticut Driver’s License Class B required.
• Connecticut Supervisory Pesticide Applicator License is required.
• Certified Playground Safety Inspector certification.
• Skill in the operation of grounds keeping equipment necessary to effectively complete essential job functions.
• Means of transportation
• Criminal background and driving record checks required prior to employment.
• Candidates who do not currently hold licenses or certifications, but who have the potential to obtain them in a determined timeframe may be considered.

Mental and Physical requirements:

Considerable physical strength and stamina is required. The Physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Must be able to perform continuous bending, twisting, stooping, reaching and lifting of moderate to heavy material up to 100 lbs.
• Must be able to work standing for extended periods, up to 8 hours every day.
• While performing the duties of the job, the employee primarily works outdoors in all weather conditions.
• Is frequently required to use hand to finger, handle, feel or operate objects, tools or controls; and reach with hands and arms.
• Able to frequently work near moving mechanical parts, in precarious places and is exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, fumes, toxic or caustic materials, extreme cold and extreme heat.
• Able to perform in a work environment that is quiet to noisy depending on the task or equipment being used.
• Vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to focus.
• Ability to maintain his/her composure with the public and co-workers in everyday, stressful and emergency situations.

This job description does not constitute an employment agreement or contract between the employer and the employee and is subject to change by the employer as requirements of the job change.

The order in which Examples of Essential Functions and Qualifications Profile are meant only for reference and do not necessarily represent any order of magnitude.

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