CARBONDALE (WSIL) -- While some stay-at-home restrictions are being lifted, others remain in place; but, for how long?
"We just don't have any clear guidance as to when this might be over, so we're really planing for the worst, and hoping for the best in terms of economics," said Carbondale Park District Executive Director Kathy Renfro.
Renfro says in order to save employees' positions for the future, they had to make the hard decision to furlough them now.
"At the forefront of all our decision making is the health and welfare of not only our staff, but the citizens that we serve,"Renfro adds.
Eighteen full-time employees will be affected by the furlough, which starts Friday and is expected to end the first week of June.
"None of our revenue-generating facilities are open, with the exception of the golf course, and it just opened on May 1st," said Renfro.
She said another financial hurdle for the District to overcome, a later Property Tax distribution. "And we certainly understand the residential property owner and what they're experiencing in this time, so we understand that there will be delays and later payments in the Fall as everybody gets back to work and has the opportunity to make those payments."
Renfro says Summer is when the District makes the majority of its revenue and they're not entirely giving up on conducting services.
She says they are looking at ways they can have camps for kids, just with fewer numbers at a time. Their services regularly see around 100 children enrolled, and right now that number is zero. She said it is a difficult time that they will pull through together.
"We've missed each other even over these past six or seven weeks when we just can't see each other face to face," said Renfro. "And to now to know that many of our employees won't be reporting to work for the next thirty days, it's a heavy message."
The Park District says its furloughed employees will continue to maintain their health benefits as its entire staff is affected. Some employees will give up five hours of pay, others will give up 160 hours.
All employees are expected to return to work at the end of the 30-day period.
