(a) The Board is hereby authorized to appoint a Superintendent of Recreation, which position is hereby authorized and created, who shall be the chief executive officer of the Board but not a member thereof, and shall be charged with the general organization, administration, and supervision of the program of public recreation contemplated and provided for by this chapter. The Superintendent shall be a person of such training, experience, and capacity as will especially qualify him to discharge the duties of the office. He shall possess those qualifications of education, training, and experience in recreation work as well as executive and administrative experience which will assure a thorough knowledge of current theory and practice in public recreation and give promise of the administrative ability necessary to administer a program of public recreation in and for the Nation’s Capital.

(b) The Board, upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, is empowered to appoint, promote, demote, and terminate the employment of such personnel as are necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter. The Superintendent may suspend for cause for a period not exceeding 30 days any employee of the Board.

(c) All present personnel of the Community Center and Playgrounds Department whose services have heretofore been rated satisfactory shall be retained by the Board with the understanding that this provision does not contemplate the continued employment of individuals whose service is inefficient, and such personnel shall continue to function under existing rules and regulations until such time as classification and civil service requirements have been effected.

(d) The Superintendent and all other regular annual personnel of the Recreation Board shall be employees of the District of Columbia.

(e) Upon recommendation of the Superintendent, the Board is authorized to employ, on a part-time basis, without regard to the prohibition against double salaries provided by § 58 of Title 5, United States Code, such teachers, custodial, and other employees of the United States, the District of Columbia, and the Board of Education, upon approval by the present employer, as may be necessary to keep in operation and to conduct therein appropriate phases of the recreation program authorized by this chapter.

(f) The respective facilities of the United States, the District of Columbia, and the Board of Education shall, by the agreement of the respective agencies of the government having control of such facilities, be made available to the Board under the terms of this chapter.

(g) The Superintendent is authorized to employ for a 90-day period as full- or part-time employees, such referees, umpires, swimming-pool guards and attendants, gymnasium and playground supervisors, and other similar special employees as may be necessary to carry out the recreation program authorized by this chapter; provided, that the retention in the District service of any such employees for a period longer than 90 days shall be subject to the approval of the Board.

(h) The Board is authorized to accept upon recommendation of the Superintendent the gratis services of such persons as may volunteer to aid in the conduct of any of its activities.

(Apr. 29, 1942, 56 Stat. 262, ch. 265, art. II, § 2; Oct. 28, 1949, 63 Stat. 972, ch. 782, title XI, § 1106(a); Apr. 23, 1958, 72 Stat. 97, Pub. L. 85-383, § 1; Mar. 3, 1979, D.C. Law 2-139, § 3205(g), 25 DCR 5740.)

1981 Ed., § 8-212.

1973 Ed., § 8-209.

This section is referenced in § 1-636.02 and § 38-401.

Effective date provisions, see § 1-636.02.

Use of buildings and grounds, authority, see § 38-401.

For temporary (90 day) addition of section, see § 2 of Summer Pool Safety Emergency Act of 2010 (D.C. Act 18-487, July 19, 2010, 57 DCR 7167).

Section 2 of D.C. Law 18-251 added a provision to read as follows:

“Sec. 2. Summer safety plan for public pools.

“The Mayor shall issue a report to the Council no later than 10 days from the effective date of the Summer Pool Safety Emergency Act of 2010, effective July 19, 2010 (D.C. Act 18-487), and on May 1st of each subsequent year, detailing a summer safety plan for District-operated public pools. The plan shall include:

“(1) A review of the appropriate lifeguard-to-swimmer ratio;

“(2) A lifeguard schedule plan for each public pool;

“(3) A medical safety summary, including the availability of automated external defibrillator devices, for each public pool; and

“(4) Feasibility of installing an automated drowning detection system in public pools.”

Section 4(b) of D.C. Law 18-251 provided that the act shall expire after 225 days of its having taken effect.

Section 58 of Title 5, United States Code, referred to in subsection (e) of this section, was repealed by the Act of August 19, 1964, 78 Stat. 492, Pub. L. 88-448, § 402(a)(1). See now § 5533 of Title 5, United States Code.

Recreation Board abolished: See Historical and Statutory Notes following § 10-201.