The Lake County Council approved an amendment to the county’s part-time employees pay rate ordinance during a special meeting Tuesday to increase the pay rate for part-time off-duty police officers for the Lake County Parks and Recreation Department.

The amended ordinance increased the part-time rate for off-duty officers in the parks and recreation department from a $16-$30-an-hour range to a $25-$50-an-hour range, according to the ordinance.

Typically, the Lake County Sheriff’s Department off-duty police officers provide security at the water park and at various parks and recreation facilities during larger events, said Jim Basala, CEO of the Lake County Parks and Recreation Department.

Depending on weather and attendance, there could be up to four off-duty sheriff officers providing security at the water park, he said.

Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez said there has been “a shortage of officers wanting to work at the water park” because other side jobs are paying about $40 an hour or more. Also, officers prefer working special operations within the police department, which pays time-and-a-half, he said.

“We appreciate the Lake County Council’s support of an increase in pay to $40 an hour for police officers who work part time at the water park,” Martinez said. “This is in line with part-time hourly rates of other agencies, which has been between $35-$50 per hour.”

To ensure there are part-time off-duty police officers available, Basala said the department will hire out from other municipal police departments. But because local police departments offer more than $30 per hour, Basala said the department had to increase the pay rate for the part-time off-duty officers to ensure continued security coverage.

“We will have armed law enforcement at every function,” Bilski said. “To make sure we don’t have a shortfall in staffing ... we had to raise our ordinance for that reason.

Councilman Charlie Brown, D-Gary, asked if the county would have a liability issue by hiring out part-time off-duty officers. Lake County Chief of Police Vincent Balbo said the county requires any outside company hired by the county to have liability coverage for the employee.

The council approved the amended ordinance in a 6-0 vote, with Councilwoman Christine Cid, D-East Chicago, absent.