Written by Ron Kaye
Wednesday, 07 October 2009
Community reaction to Recreation and Parks GM Jon Kirk Mukri's shakeup of operations of LA's Park Ranger operations prompted Council Tom LaBonge to intervene Wednesday and cal a "last-minute meeting ... to gather input and reactions to the pending changes."
The community meeting will be held Thursday starting at 6 p.m. at the Citibank Building, 2nd Floor - 1965 N. Hillhurst Blvd., Los Feliz.
The shakeup was announced Monday in a memo to staff entitled "REASSIGNMENTS AND WORK SCHEDULE CHANGES."
Effctive Oct. 25, the 9/80 and 4/10 compressed week work schedules will be eliminated and all Park Ranger personnel will work a normal 5 day, 40-hour week.
In addition, Mukri reorganized the division into four units: Interpretive/Nature Education, Mounted, Park Patrol and Observatory Security.
What set off many community activists was the reassignment of Chief Ranger Albert Torres to the city's emergency preparedness operation downtown. Torres, a Ranger for 30 years, has earned high praise from staff, volunteers and others in the community.
Mukri also named Anne Waisgerber to be the lead staff member of the Park Patrol Unit and Sharie Abajain to be in charge of the Interpretive/Nature Education and Mounted Patrol units.
The changes were being made to make the Park Ranges "more productive, efficient, effective, and accountable," Mukri said, and are needed "to better utilize limited resources and meet operational needs."
At least some of the changes are needed because of the severe impact of budget cuts on his department. Mukri had told the City Council during budget hearings that he was planning to reorganize the department to preserve park services as well as possible in the face of reduced funding.
http://ourla.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=681&Itemid=3233
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