Working for the City of Grand Junction has many perks. One of which is the generous benefits package the City offers its employees. As a frontrunner and advocate for the needs of its employees, the City continues to work diligently to compensate and value its employees through a variety of benefits and services for both the employees and their families. For example, affordable health insurance benefits, dental and vision insurance, a parental leave program, paid time off, a daycare center for children of City employees, and a health clinic designated for employees and their families. These benefits and many others are just some of the many ways the City shows its appreciation and support for its employees.
With compensation and benefits this generous, it is no surprise that current and former employees advocate for others to apply for positions within the City as well. That’s what happened to Jonathan Rose, the City of Grand Junction’s “Mr. Fix It,” who applied for a job more than eight years ago. “My father-in-law worked for the City for 42 years before he retired,” he said. “He just raved about the benefits, the insurance, the retirement. It was such a good job, and the pay was really good.”
Like his father-in-law, Rose knew he wanted a long-term career rather than just another job, so he applied for a position with the City. After working as a trashman for seven years, Rose transitioned into a new role in 2022 and now serves as the facilities maintenance technician. It’s a challenging job that looks different day to day, he said, which is one of the things he appreciates most. “I’m always busy and I love being busy,” he said. “It’s been a long time since I looked forward to going to work, but I do now. This is just my calling.”
As one of few people in the City with a general contractor license, Rose is involved in every building project the City works on, he said. Rose’s days are filled with normal repairs like replacing burned-out light bulbs, fixing toilets, painting walls, and filling holes. Then there are bigger projects, like replacing ductwork in City-owned buildings to accommodate air conditioning units and installing drinking fountains in the police station and other buildings. He’s also overseeing the conversion of 20 buildings to LED lighting.
When Rose isn’t keeping the City’s buildings functioning properly, he’s likely spending time with his 8-year-old son riding dirt bikes on the area’s 1.5 million acres of public lands. “I love that within minutes you could be hiking in the Colorado National Monument, riding dirt bikes in the desert, or camping on the Grand Mesa. Everything is just right here, and that’s one thing my son and I really love, is riding dirt bikes on all the public BLM land behind where we live. There is just endless exploring.”
Rose spent the first 13 years of his life in California before moving to the area with his parents when he was a young teenager. “They wanted to slow down and so they sold their businesses and moved here,” he said. Rose stayed in the area as an adult thanks to his rewarding career and his love for the area. Grand Junction is a great place to raise kids, he said. “The schools are really good and my son has tons of friends. We have three neighbors who all have kids my son’s age, and it just works out so well. We do block parties together. I feel like it’s just such a great place here, and you can be active year-round as well, which is huge for us.”
Thanks to the benefits that the City offers and his love for the area, Jonathan has found a fulfilling career that lets him spend time with his family while still doing what he loves. To learn more about what it is like working for the City of Grand Junction, visit this link. If you’re looking for career opportunities with the City of Grand Junction, check out the job board.