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Trustees say running township too much for them
(by Joan Demirjian - September 03, 2008)
Trustees say running township too much for them
By JOAN DEMIRJIAN
Running the day-to-day activities in a busy township could require a township administrator to oversee them, according to Bainbridge Trustees.
A discussion concerning the Hawksmoor Way roadway project brought up the subject of a township administrator.
U.S. Rep. Steven LaTourette, R-Bainbridge, sent a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, asking the agency to act on a permit that is needed to do work on Hawksmoor Way. The road off Bainbridge Road is sliding down an embankment, and part of the project to fix the roadway calls for working in a stream area. That impact on the stream requires the permit from the corps.
Trustee Matthew Lynch said the work involved in gathering information for a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit includes studies on the Indiana bat, which might be impacted by the work.
The army corps is asking for the information by Sept. 15 for the permit application. It's difficult to obtain that information so quickly, trustees said.
Mr. Lynch said it's an example of why the township should consider an administrator. "It's evident that the day-to-day operations require day-to-day supervision," he said.
"We're dealing with administering the Hawksmoor project and worrying about the Indiana bat," he said.
Many responsibilities have been placed on Fiscal Officer Sandra Cloninger, Mr. Lynch said, but she does not have the time to deal with some of the issues.
A township administrator oversees daily township operations and receives direction from Township Trustees. Several townships in the state have administrators.
One way to pay for an administrator is out of the funds the township has placed in savings, Mr. Lynch said. Just recently, the Geauga County budget commission told the township it has to have a plan for using the money. "One of the concerns is the cost of paying for the position, and one way might be to promote from within the township employees." he said. The Frohring estate-tax funds could help pay for the position, as opposed to taking it out of the township's general fund, he said.
As the trustees prepare for some scheduled workshop sessions on the township's five-year plan, a township administrator is likely to be one of the topics, Mr. Lynch said.
There are other townships in the state similar in population size and budgets to Bainbridge that operate with township administrators, he said.
Trustee Linda White agreed with the need for an administrator. "I think we should consider it," she said. "This township is far too big for part-time trustees and a fiscal officer to manage it. There are townships smaller than us that have one. I think it needs to be explored."
She said that a hot-water heater at Town Hall recently "blew up," and an administrator could have contacted plumbers and addressed the issue. "It's the day-to-day things and the follow-up," Ms. White said.
An administrator can save time for trustees, she said, and "could do a lot of the grunt work. I brought it up in 2007, but it didn't fly."
Trustee Jeffrey Markley said, "I'm certainly in favor of it right now.
"It's not the trustees' job to run the township on a day-to-day basis," he said. "A township like ours should have a township administrator."
Many responsibilities are falling on the fiscal officer, whose duties are outlined by the Ohio Revised Code, he said. "She needs to focus on finances."
Mr. Markley said Twinsburg Township is smaller than Bainbridge and has an administrator. "There are a number of townships in the state with township administrators. The trustees should make the decisions, and the township administrator does the day-to-day stuff," he said.
It all goes back to the five-year plan and planning for such a township position in the budget, Mr. Markley said.
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