LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Lexington Fayette Urban County Council on Feb. 18 approved a personnel reorganization that abolishes two part‑time educational program aid positions tied to the former Gainsway/Tate’s Creek Community Center and establishes two full‑time civil‑service positions in the Parks and Recreation department.

Councilmember Morton's questions during new business prompted staff to detail why the changes were proposed: the original 20‑hour educational program aid job descriptions were difficult to fill because HR determined they fit only within therapeutic‑recreation settings. Adrienne Toccoeur, deputy director of recreation, said the department worked with HR and finance and “we really could only use that in a therapeutic recreation setting, so we had trouble filling them.”

The department said it will abolish a staff assistant and the two educational program aid positions and create two year‑round, full‑time civil‑service roles: one focused on natural areas programming (serving Kelly’s Landing, Raven Run and other natural‑area efforts) and one responsible for volunteer program coordination and data management across parks, community centers, golf courses, aquatics and partnership programs. Toccoeur said the positions will include program delivery and volunteer coordination responsibilities.

Why it matters: Council members pushed staff to explain whether the two existing positions could stay at Tate’s Creek to support community‑center programming. Councilmember Beasley argued the city was removing funded positions already in a community center and suggested a single full‑time support role might better extend program hours and services at centers. Morton also asked when the city had taken over the center; staff said the transfer occurred in October 2022.

Details provided: Toccoeur gave pay‑grade ranges for comparable classifications. For the recreation specialist senior (grade 5 16, effective July 1, 2024) the low, mid and high ranges are $43,378.40; $54,223.52; and $65,068.64, respectively. For the recreation supervisor the ranges are $41,315.04; $51,642.24; and $61,969.44 (effective July 1, 2024).

Staff said the volunteer/data position will serve the entire park system rather than being duplicated at every community center. “The person that or the position that we're suggesting, the volunteer and data management, will serve as the entire park system,” Toccoeur said.

Council action: A motion to approve new business — which included the staffing changes as presented — passed by voice vote; no roll‑call tally was recorded in the public transcript.

Background and next steps: Staff said the educational program aid positions originated when the city assumed programming at the facility formerly called Gainsway (now Tate’s Creek Community Center). The department reviewed staffing across maintenance and recreation during the budget process and proposed the changes after failing to recruit applicants who matched the narrow 20‑hour educational‑aid job description.

Council members said they want additional information about community‑center staffing models before broader changes are made across other centers. Toccoeur said each community center follows a consistent staffing model used at Dunbar, William Wells Brown, Castlewood and Kenwick and that the Parks and Recreation leadership would review staffing more broadly if council desired.