TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: James V. Capparelli, City Manager
SUBJECT:
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Authorization to Amend Compensation Structure for Crossing Guards
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BACKGROUND:
The Police Department is asking to resolve an issue with recruiting and retaining Crossing Guards. Currently, the City's Crossing Guards are tasked with covering 42 shifts each day and the Crossing Guard Coordinator is responsible for monitoring and filling of these shifts. Therefore, to be fully staffed, a staff of 43 each day is required. Currently, there are only 21 Guards, and 10 crossing locations are going unfilled daily. The Crossing Guard program encompasses schools in Joliet District 86, Plainfield District 202, and the Joliet Diocese.
Currently, Guards hired prior to 2012 are paid $48.17/day (tier 1) and guards hired subsequently are paid $32.00, $36.00, or $40.00/day (tier 2 depending on years of service). Guards can make an extra $6/day if they cover a second AM or PM crossing OR an extra $12/day if they cover both AM & PM of the second crossing. The scaled rates were implemented to address budgetary issues in 2015. Because of the ongoing pandemic and manpower shortages, the City has been unable to hire applicants. There has only been 1 applicant in the past year, and the current Guards are not willing to cover unfilled secondary crossings for $6/$12 per day. Some of these crossings require the Guards to travel across town multiple times per day and their complaint is the pay barely covers the cost of fuel and their time.
CONCLUSION:
It is being recommended to increase the secondary crossing pay to half the daily rate for covering an AM or PM crossing or an additional full daily rate for covering both the AM and PM crossing. By increasing the secondary crossing pay scale for Guards to cover secondary crossings, the Guards will be more willing to take on additional crossings. This will not increase our budget for Crossing Guards as the funds would be allocated more appropriately ...
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