PARK FOREMAN

POSTING DATE: OCTOBER 29, 2024

POSTING END DATE: NOVEMBER 6, 2024

JOB SUMMARY

Supervises the maintenance and repair of park areas and recreation facilities, and has immediate charge of a group of skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers engaged in park and recreation construction, development and major maintenance tasks, in a general or specified area of the City Parks operations. This work is of a semi-technical nature and requires the incumbent to supervise and, in some instances, perform landscaping, general repair and maintenance of park facilities. Policy changes and major construction work are initiated by the Director of Public Work/City Engineer. The Park Foreman, however, is responsible for independently executing the plans of a project. Does related work as required.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following.  Other duties may be assigned.

• Exercises field supervision over one or more crews that are responsible for the day-to-day repair and maintenance operations for parks, athletic/sport fields and related public grounds including the construction, maintenance, and repair of park facilities, playgrounds, ball fields, or other sports fields, and other landscaped areas such as the City of Peekskill Riverfront;
• Supervise, schedule, and evaluate work achieved by parks maintenance staff that prepares, maintains, inspects, and repairs baseball, softball, soccer and other athletic facilities and equipment;
• Assists in the selection of staff and rains subordinate personnel in grounds maintenance tasks and equipment operation;
• Identifies, coordinates, and evaluates projects to be undertaken by the City for the maintenance of City parks;
• Monitoring leaves of absence for subordinate staff;
• Plans and coordinates parks and/or facilities repairs, construction, and maintenance projects;
• Gathers data and submits reports as requested by department head;
• Develops maintenance standards and procedures for assigned park areas;
• Purchase materials and supplies for park maintenance equipment;
• Coordinates equipment repair and maintenance schedules with recreational programming staff and community organizations;
• Communicates with subordinates, other City employees, vendors and suppliers, and the public in order to assign work to subordinates;
• Respond to inquiries and complaints from the public;
• Communicates with professional organizations and recreational programming and community sports organizations in order to coordinate maintenance and establish and maintain effective working relationships;
• Prepares work orders, estimates of materials and supplies, activity reports and monthly reports in order to facilitate work and document maintenance activities;
• Conducts inspections to observe work habits, facility damage, turf material replacement needs, proper equipment use and maintenance;
• Operates all park maintenance equipment;
• Inspects equipment, playing fields, and parks facilities to ensure safety and appearance standards;
• Assists with the work of crews, primarily through performance of the more difficult tasks or in the demonstration of proper work techniques;
• Works around or uses potentially hazardous materials requiring the use of specialized equipment;
• Plans, schedules, supervises, and evaluates the work of unskilled, semiskilled, and skilled workers, and maintenance personnel;
• Sets work priorities and determines work projects to be conducted on a day-to-day basis;
• Determines equipment, materials, and personnel needed for specific projects;
• Coordinates the work of temporary personnel or outside contractors who may be assigned to work on major construction repair projects;
• Assesses and assigns priorities to problems and work assignments when confronted with several pressing demands at one time;
• Reassigns workers from one project to another to meet emergency demands and changing priorities;
• Prepares recommendations on personnel, supplies, and equipment needs for the budget, and monitors expenditures in assigned areas;  
• Develops specifications for purchase of capital equipment, materials, and supplies including research of products and equipment within area of responsibility.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

Supervision is exercised over the work of subordinate park maintenance personnel.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS (As adopted by the Westchester County Human Resources Department)

Either: (a) Bachelor’s degree* in Landscape Architecture, Horticulture or related field; or (b) Associate’s degree* in Landscape Architecture, Horticulture or related field and two (2) years of experience in the maintenance of parks, park areas or grounds, including the operation of mechanical grounds equipment; or (c) graduation from high school or possession of a high school equivalency diploma and four (4) years of experience as described in (b); or (d) eight (8) years of work experience as described in (b) above.

NOTE: Unless otherwise noted, only experience gained after attaining the minimum education level indicated in the minimum qualifications will be considered in evaluating experience.

*SPECIAL NOTE: Education beyond the secondary level must be from an institution recognized or accredited by the Board of Regents of the New York State Department of Education as a post-secondary, degree-granting institution.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT: At time of appointment, possession of a valid license to operate a motor vehicle in the State of New York, appropriate to the type of vehicle and/or equipment being operated. The City will be verifying and ensuring that the appointed candidate meets these conditions at time of appointment and throughout the course of employment.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, use hands to finger or grasp, reach with hands and arms.  The employee is frequently required to talk and hear.  The employee is required to stand and walk.  The employee must participate in programs where physical exertion is needed through demonstration of skills involved in the program.

The physical requirements of this position also require the ability to exert up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or regularly to move objects.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to inside and outside environmental conditions. 

EMPLOYER’S DISCLAIMER:

• All requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.
• This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee holding this position.  Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties as required by the applicable Department Head/supervisor and/or City Manager.
• This job description is intended for the internal use by the City of Peekskill and does not replace the job specification that has been adopted by the Westchester County Human Resources Department.
• This job description does not create a contract of employment, express or implied.