The busy season is fast approaching for the El Dorado-Union County Recreation Complex Board and employees are needed to fill several concessions, umpires and maintenance positions, board members said. ‘establishment.
With two additional concession stands slated to open at the resort this season and playing soon at two football fields and eight baseball/softball fields, at least 15 positions will need to be filled in the coming weeks to help the resort’s operations run smoothly. smooth. This year.
Practices are already underway at the complex, and baseball and softball games and tournaments are set to kick off the first weekend in March, with feelers for a tournament potentially in late February, said Greg Harrison, co-chairman of the board. administration of the complex.
Over the past several months, board members and the resort manager, Boys and Girls Club of El Dorado, have spoken about the need to find employees to run three concession stands and officiate games at softball and baseball.
In December, the News-Times erroneously reported that flag football referees were needed at the complex.
Harrison later clarified that flag football positions had been filled and umpires were needed for softball and baseball.
On Monday, Harrison also said a part-time maintenance position has since become available at the resort.
Recent weather events, including a deep freeze and tornadic activity that caused damage to the complex, including broken water pipes, stretched what is now a three-man maintenance crew – a maintenance manager at full-time and two part-time assistants — thin.
Harrison said that during one of the weather events, only one of the part-timers was able to respond, noting that the other two, father and son, had retired to church.
“We need at least one more part-timer for maintenance. We need to have other part-timers to help out,” he said.
David Lee, director of BGCE, and the director of concessions expressed difficulties in maintaining reliable workers.
A concession stand serves the complex’s north fields and two used kiosks, which were donated by Murphy USA, will be used as concessions for the south fields, which include two soccer fields that opened late last year.
The electrical connections are complete and the plumbing work is complete for the kiosks. The kiosks will also provide three additional public washrooms for the complex.
Harrison said the gazebo near the south baseball and softball fields should be operational early in the season.
Members of the complex’s board of directors said they hoped the other, which will serve the football pitches, will open soon.
“Of course, football is in the fall, but I hope to be able to organize football tournaments in the spring,” Harrison said.
Lee previously said the resort’s concessions manager reported that retaining reliable workers was an ongoing issue.
“She’s been dealing with it for a while. There’s been a lot of turnover and the employees don’t show up. They’re unreliable,” Lee said.
Harrison said such issues have led to complaints from visitors to the resort.
“They complain that we only have one window open. Well, when you have four workers and only two show up at the scheduled time, you can’t operate more than one window with two people “, said Harrison.
BGCE acts as manager and concessionaire of the complex under separate annual contracts with the city of El Dorado and the complex, respectively.
Lee said two wireless access points, or internet hotspots, have been added to the complex, which will enable debit and credit card transactions with point-of-sale systems at concession stands.
He said the positions available at the complex are classified as contract labor.
The BGCE sets pay rates, with Lee noting that jobs will pay at least minimum wage — $11 an hour in Arkansas.
Harrison said the jobs are ideal for teenagers and young adults, noting weekend schedules will likely be the busiest.
A traffic count taken around five years ago recorded around 50,000 people entering and leaving the complex during a tournament.
Board members said the number could be higher now.
“It’s rotational hours,” Harrison said. “We definitely need people to help us with concessions and collectively. It depends on the skills and what people are willing to do.”
For more information or to apply for a job at the resort, call Lee at 870-863-8753.
