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Michelle Griffin, parks and recreation coordinator in Liberty Lake since 2010, was given a layoff notice on Sept. 2 as part of a reorganization of the department announced by Mayor Steve Peterson.
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Coordinator let go as part of parks and rec shuffle
9/28/2015 3:05:52 PM
By Craig Howard
Splash Contributor
Last month, Michelle Griffin attended the dedication ceremony for the Coast Guard Fallen Heroes station, a project she had worked on for months with a committee of local residents.
Even though the site of the ceremony was only steps away from Liberty Lake City Hall - Griffin's professional home for the past seven years - the longtime Parks and Recreation coordinator was there on Sept. 11 as a volunteer, not a municipal employee.
Griffin was relieved of her duties on Sept. 2 by Mayor Steve Peterson, who described the move as being "more about the process than the person." In what he called a "reorganization of the parks and recreation department," the mayor eliminated Griffin's role and elevated Jennifer Camp, parks and open space superintendent, to a director's position. Meanwhile, Luke Clift, who has worked on the maintenance/coordination side of parks, was named the interim event and recreation lead, according to City Administrator Katy Allen.
"I'm the visionary for parks and recreation," Peterson said. "I don't want to be in the business of providing recreation services. Michelle's job has changed since Katy arrived. Really, all we want to do on the parks side is provide the facility and some funding."
Peterson went on to say that entities like the HUB Sports Center, Skyhawks and the Spokane Regional Sports Commission "provide better services than the city can." In the new format, those groups will take on added responsibility in coordinating activities. Camp, who oversees all municipal parks facilities, will be the contact person for recreation programming. Peterson said Allen will also be helping out on the recreation side.
"I didn't approach this move with the thinking that I don't like what Michelle is doing," Peterson said. "We're just looking to be more efficient and effective with our resources and our people. Our goal is to provide a quality environment for the programming to take place."
Griffin began her tenure with Liberty Lake in 2008 in administrative services and was hired as recreation coordinator two years later. She was integral in the acquisition of several city grants before her move to parks, including funding for solar panels at the police station. In 2009, she was awarded the city's "Above and Beyond" award.
As coordinator of Parks and Recreation, Griffin oversaw facility reservations, managed the community garden program and CHILL day camp and served as the liaison between the city and groups like Friends of Pavillion Park. This year, the city has already set a record in recreation revenue, collecting over $70,000.
Allen described Griffin as "a hard-working, reliable and trustworthy employee."
Under Griffin, the recreation lineup has grown to include winter sports like snow shoeing, cross country skiing and "Snowgusta" in December, a cold-weather rendition of miniature golf. Other additions have included STEM classes, a bicycling club, lacrosse and flag football camps. Griffin had also begun work to add a Soccer Tots program for next year.
Peterson launched the parks and recreation format during his first term as mayor, drawing upon local colleges and universities for interns who coordinated programming.
"From the standpoint of coming in, taking over for interns and building a program, Michelle did her job," Peterson said. "I think this move will really allow her to expand professionally in the long run."
Griffin said she did not see the change coming.
"Before I was laid off there was no mention of the need for reorganization," she said. "The city coffers are very healthy and recreation programming is currently being expanded."
Griffin was heavily involved in the city's parks and recreation survey last year, which set the tone for the current discussions about a community center/swimming pool facility. She and Amanda Tainio, planning and building services manager, coordinated the revival of Liberty Lake Days this summer as Barefoot in the Park. The event drew positive reviews from City Council members like Shane Brickner, who commended Griffin and Tainio following their recap presentation in August.
"I can't commend you guys enough," Brickner said. "It was an incredible event."
Allen said the revised organizational chart, reflecting the change in parks, will be part of Peterson's 2016 preliminary budget. In the strong mayor form of government, Peterson oversees employment at City Hall. A similar transition took place in late 2005 when another Griffin - inaugural City Administrator Lewis Griffin - was told by the mayor his role would be dissolved beginning in 2006. Similar to the parks recalibration, existing staff absorbed duties left behind by the shift.
In 2012, longtime Community Development Director Doug Smith was let go by Peterson as part of another restructuring move. That change took place two months after Allen was hired as the second city administrator in Liberty Lake's history.
"We looked at this and asked, ‘Do we really need an event staff?'" Allen said of the parks shuffle. "Instead, we want to leverage existing programs and use other experts. Look at the city of Spokane Valley, they do it all by leveraging outside groups. We see this as a blend of grounds and recreational activities that will bring increased efficiencies."
Griffin, who worked for the Central Valley School District and Upper Columbia Resource Conservation and Development program before being hired by Liberty Lake, said she did her best to make parks and recreation shine in the community that became her professional home.
"I worked a lot of evenings, weekends and holidays away from my family and for no additional pay, as an exempt employee, because I loved my job and enjoyed providing recreational opportunities for the residents of Liberty Lake," she said.
Peterson said the revised format will place the city as a facilitator, with Camp as a point person "who is actually out in the field."
"People have to understand - the environment changes," Peterson said. "The city is not going to be in the activities business."
Peterson said the transition was made now because he "didn't want to impact an employee going into the holiday season." Griffin has been offered severance pay and has yet to decide on her next career move.
"I would like to thank the residents of Liberty Lake for the opportunity to serve them for the past seven years," Griffin said. "It was an honor to be part of the Fallen Heroes Circuit Course Committee and to get to work with so many wonderful volunteers and citizens of Liberty Lake. I feel blessed for the opportunity."
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