Elgin mayor wants to offer more kids city jobs
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Mayor David Kaptain is trying to give Elgin teenagers the same opportunity he had when he was young: employment with the city.
Kaptain said his first job was cutting grass at Bluff City Cemetery. Since then the city has moved away from hiring teenagers and toward contracting out the services to landscapers. Kaptain said though that may be cheaper, it's not the best way to get the work done.
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Overgrown lots keeping inspectors busy“There are benefits to the community that you can't put a dollar value on,” Kaptain said.
The idea has not been discussed by the full council, but Kaptain has begun brainstorming with city staff members. City Manager Sean Stegall said the next step will come during budget talks when the full council can analyze the proposed program.
Stegall said there are certain areas where youth employees are not ideal, but others where the program would hold a lot of potential.
“Having young people involved in the organization certainly provides a level of enthusiasm and interest,” Stegall said.
A recent Daily Herald article focused on the work of Elgin's Code Enforcement department. During the spring and summer months, overgrown weeds become a problem, especially on vacant lots.
Kaptain said this is one area where youth employees could be helpful. If they maintain a consistent schedule, revisiting problem properties regularly, the city would get its money back for the mowing once the house is sold. That would cut down on neighborhood complaints.
Kaptain wants to employ teenagers because this group has been particularly affected by the down economy shifting the balance of who works where.
“The world has changed,” Kaptain said. “The jobs that used to be available for young people, they're not available anymore.”
Kaptain hopes a program can be implemented by next summer when teenagers finish school for the academic year and problems with overgrown weeds reach seasonal highs.
