The City of Omaha is ready to hire employees as three Parks and Recreation Department community centers get set to reopen after months of being closed due to the pandemic.
Community centers in Omaha have been reopening gradually. In July, Common Ground in Elkhorn was one of the first community centers to reopen. Now the Saddlebrook, Sorensen and Florence centers are planning to open on September 20th, but the city needs employees.
Marquette Ryan, special projects coordinator with Parks and Recreation, tells 6 News that many employees have gotten new jobs, creating a need for new staffers. “Because we had to close, a lot of our staff members have other jobs that they went to so we are in dire need of staffing -- specifically recreation programming. So you’d be doing check-ins, ringing people up and doing other facility cleaning and things like that. So that is our biggest staff need right now."
“We could always use more people with tennis and our trap and skeet range and even in our golf facilities,” he added. Ryan says there will be social distancing of people and equipment, and staff will do extra cleaning to help fight off the virus. She says the community centers will operate at limited capacity and hours.
“With COVID hitting, it took that away from people. It’s some sign of relief it’s going to be back,” she said. Those interested in a position at one the community centers can apply here or call 402 444-5900.
The city hopes to have all of its community centers open in October.