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Bath trustees work to fill administrator position

8/9/2012 - West Side Leader
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By Pam Lifke

With the Aug. 31 resignation of Bath Township Administrator William Snow looming, township trustees are set to sift through credentials of 32 applicants — including Snow’s — at a series of special meetings this month.

During the citizen comment portion of the Aug. 6 trustees’ meeting, three residents spoke in support of rehiring Snow. Jack Bonsky, of Idlebrook Drive; Dick Sutherland, of Green Drive; and Jeff Andrew, of Ira Road, took turns speaking in support of Snow. Bonsky said it was unfair that changes to the pension system put good employees “between a rock and a hard place” and forced early retirements. Sutherland said he echoed Bonsky’s remarks. “Without Bill, this township would not be in the position it is now. … To consider going outside the township to fill that position would be the biggest mistake we ever made,” Sutherland said.

Andrew also spoke in support of Snow’s rehiring, saying, “It’s not what Bill Snow will get from the township; it’s what the township will get from Bill Snow.”

Snow has reapplied for the position and has offered to take the job at a reduced salary, the men said.

Snow tendered his resignation for retirement purposes at the board’s June 18 meeting. Ohio General Assembly legislation that would change the long-term payout of Ohio public employee pensions prompted his retirement, he said. Without the changes to the retirement system, Snow said he would have been happy to stay in the position for several more years. At the time, Snow said he regretted having to take the action, but needed to protect his financial future.

The board met Aug. 2 and will meet today, Aug. 9, as well as Aug. 14 and Aug. 21, in special sessions to work on filling the administrator position, said Fiscal Officer Sharon Troike. Trustees Elaina Goodrich and Becky Corbett said they hoped to have the hiring process completed by the end of the month.

The board also approved resolutions amending two township policies. The first resolution amends the personnel policy manual to include part-time employees in the township nepotism policy. The second amended the township policy on private fireworks displays, outlining costs to the person hosting the display and the billing process.

Fire Chief Walter Hower said the township had three permitted private fireworks displays in July. All permitted displays require the presence of a fire truck and fire personnel, he said. Under the policy, fire personnel are compensated at their applicable rate, and costs for the fire truck are billed at $200 per hour. All costs are to be paid by the person hosting the display, Hower said.

In other news, township employees will be paid biweekly beginning in 2013. Trustees voted to transition from a bimonthly pay schedule to provide better tracking of hours worked. Snow said under the bimonthly system, employees were paid a portion of a yearly salary. Under a biweekly pay system, employees would be paid for actual hours worked. He said the change was recommended by the Teamsters union, which represents Service Department employees.

In other business, the board:

• approved requisitions and purchase orders of $210,637;

• approved renewing youth service worker Marcie Mason’s contract for July 1, 2012, through June 30, 2013, with no increase in wages;

• accepted the resignation for retirement of Police Officer Scott Barb and the resignation of seasonal park laborer Ryan Dell;

• authorized internal job postings for full-time fire lieutenant and part-time fire lieutenant through Aug. 31 at 4 p.m.;

• agreed to purchase three thermal imagers and support equipment for the fire department. The equipment will cost $35,970, and the expenditure was included in the 2012 budget, said Corbett;

• agreed to purchase a 2013 Ford Escape at a cost of $23,504 from Montrose Ford. The vehicle will replace a nine-year-old sedan used by the zoning and administration departments and the fiscal office;

• agreed to purchase a 2013 Ford F-150 pickup for $19,709 from Montrose Ford. The vehicle will replace an existing Service Department truck;

• approved an agreement with Copley and the cities of Fairlawn and Norton to lease the consortium’s P25 radio tower equipment to Summit County for a period of 10 years;

• agreed to renew the township’s insurance policy with Wichert Insurance at a cost of $66,481 — no increase from the previous year. Insurance coverage for township personnel bonding was increased slightly, which brought the annual premium total to $66,900, said Snow; and

• agreed to lease two tanks for gasoline and diesel fuel storage at the township’s Ira Road facility. The township will purchase fuel for 25 cents over the wholesale price from Landmark Petroleum. The availability of fuel at the Ira Road facility guarantees 24-hour access for police, fire and service department vehicles, including snow removal equipment, Snow said.

The board’s next regular meeting will be Aug. 20 at 4 p.m. in the trustees’ meeting room on the lower level of the Bath Administration Building, 3864 W. Bath Road.

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