SALEM — The Salem Parks Commission has approved funding from the Salem Community Foundation to build a new playground at Centennial Park and to renovate the playground at Waterworth Memorial Park in a special meeting Wednesday.
The new playground in Centennial Park will have a total cost of $46,599 and be paid from the Salem Community Foundation Designated Fund. The renovation at Waterworth Memorial Park will have a total cost of $33,185 and be paid from the Salem Community Foundation Smith Fund.
The project will also be partially funded by a GameTime Cares grant awarded to the parks department. The grant is a 100% matched investment grant, meaning for each dollar contributed GameTime contributes the same amount, with a minimum investment of $70,000 in equipment to be eligible. Funds from this grant will also be used as part of the ongoing Rotary Recreation Area project, totaling $47,882 in grant funding for the three projects.
Due to the generosity of the Salem Community Foundation and GameTime these additions to Salem’s parks are coming at no additional expense to the parks department.
Salem Parks Director Shane Franks said that he was approached by Melissa Costa from the Salem Community Foundation in January about possibly funding a new playground near pavilion one at Centennial Park, and that he had recently become aware of the GameTime grant at the time. After discussing the potential grant, and being approved for it, the Salem Community Foundation agreed to fund the renovation in Waterworth as well.
Other business included the approval of increases to the pay scale for seasonal and part-time employees as part of an ordinance adjusting pay rates for city employees to be introduced at the next city council meeting. The proposed changes raise the department’s minimum wage to $10.10 for 2023, and increases the maximum hourly rate for water safety instructors and head lifeguard to $12 from $11.32, the maximum hourly rate for lifeguards to $11.25 from $9.23, the maximum hourly rate for seasonal parks laborers to $18 from the department minimum wage, and the maximum hourly rate for the lakes supervisor to $11.25 from $10.09.
The Salem Parks Commission will meet next at 5 p.m. Oct. 26 in the parks and recreations office.
