Valpo Parks expands background check process
By James D. Wolf Jr. Post-Tribune correspondent January 28, 2012 8:26PM
Updated: January 28, 2012 9:04PM
VALPARAISO — Those wanting to work for the city’s Parks Department will now go through a more thorough background check.
The Park Board voted Tuesday to use Safe Hiring Solutions of Danville, Ind., to do more complete searches, and the cost per search will be the same, about $17.
“We’ve been doing this for sensitive positions,” Parks and Recreation Director Jon Siebert said. “We’ve been wanting to get it to this point.”
However, it will now be a fully national search instead of the state search done through the Indiana State Police, said Recreation Superintendent Dan McGuire.
Safe Hiring will verify the prospective employee’s social security number, review the last seven addresses, check the sex offender registry and search national and county criminal histories.
McGuire said that he talked with the department’s attorney, local schools and the National Parks and Recreation Association about how to regulate the background checks.
In addition to doing the checks for those working with children, the department will begin doing them for all full-time employees, then for seasonal and concession stand workers. The search takes about three days.
The department did the background check for its newest employee, Youth Program Director Phil Blasko, who begins work Jan. 30.
Seibert said that the total cost would be about $5,000 to $7,000 a year, but the department now pays $3,000.
In the future, job applicants may pay for the search themselves, and even long-time seasonal help may have to get a search.
“It’s going to be a learning experience,” McGuire said.
For those interested in meeting the new youth program director, the department plans a Feb. 4 open house from 9 a.m. to noon at the Park Administration Office, 3210 N. Campbell St.
The department is also holding an open house Jan. 31 for parents interested in getting 3- to 5-year-olds into programs For those interested in finding out more about enrichment classes, the open house runs from 9-11 a.m. at Discovery Cottage, 1158 West Harrison Boulevard.
Contact the parks office at 462-5144 or visit valpoparks.org for more details.
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