PORT ANGELES — City Hall is hoping to tap into Port Angeles’ volunteer spirit.
As part of a reorganization of the city’s Recreation Division — which goes into effect today and moves the division from the Public Works and Utilities Department to the City Manager’s Office — Deputy Recreation Director Richard Bonine has been given a new role: volunteer coordinator.
Bonine said he is now responsible for recruiting people who would like to offer their time and talents for the city in anyway they wish.
He said the city isn’t looking for anything specific, just people who want to give back.
“How I envision it is, a person comes in and says this is my special skill set . . . and I will try to find them a job,” Bonine said.
That could include painting a city facility, helping to maintain a city park or staffing an event.
City Manager Kent Myers the city is in need of more volunteers because of budget cuts over the last few years, but he added that the move is not completely budget-driven.
Expanding opportunity
“I think we are looking at this from the standpoint that we have citizens that are currently volunteering in the Police Department and the parks [division], and we just think that there is an expanding opportunity to involve our local citizens,” he said.
Bonine said the program is meant to encourage the numerous volunteers already at work.
“The city of Port Angeles has a strongest volunteer base that I’ve ever encountered,” he said.
The city has already made use of volunteers to help maintain its parks.
In 2009, it started a park sponsorship program in response to insufficient funding. About nine parks have sponsors, which maintain the facilities, Bonine said.
Myers said volunteers could help offset future cuts, but he added that he didn’t have anything “specific to offer” on what that might include.
Bonine said he doesn’t intend to use volunteers to replace paid positions.
“There’s plenty of work to go around,” he said.
Yvonne Ziomkowski, city finance director, said the city is not proposing any staff cuts in 2011, although funding for some services will have to be decreased to fill in a general fund budget shortfall now estimated at between $200,000 and $300,000.
Moved division
Myers said he moved the Recreation Division, which has 10 full-time employees, under his guidance because he wants it to focus on recruiting volunteers and efforts to increase use of Hurricane Ridge during the winter.
“This will help clarify that they’re job duties go beyond traditional recreation services,” Myers said.
He said it’s more appropriate for those roles to be directed by his office rather than Public Works and Utilities.
Myers said he consulted with City Council members before making the move.
Hurricane Ridge Road will be open daily from November through March this year.
The road is typically open only Friday through Sunday during those months.
The National Park Service agreed to keep it open daily this year on a trial basis after a fundraiser that netted more than $75,000 to help pay for the additional road maintenance.
For more information on the city’s volunteer program, phone Bonine at 360-417-4551.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
