DeWitt hired for new hybrid position as administrator and utilities superintendent
LOUDONVILLE - Village Council hired Garrett DeWitt, the current water and wastewater superintendent, as Loudonville’s new village administrator at a special meeting Monday, Aug. 8.
More:Curt Young sets high bar for future administrators
DeWitt was hired in a new hybrid position as administrator as well as utilities superintendent, at a salary of $75,000.
No one objected to his hiring, but Councilman Bill Huffman questioned the wisdom of paying so much for a person who admittedly has no experience in portions of his new position.
At the suggestion of member Hollie Goines, the council set the salary at $75,000, with the option of revisiting the salary amount in a few months.
They directed Solicitor Thom Gilman to prepare a salary ordinance revision assigning a salary to the new administrator/utility superintendent position.
Mayor Jason VanSickle opened the special meeting with the recommendation to hire DeWitt to the hybrid position at a salary of $80,000.
DeWitt said the $80,000 figure is at the low end of what other municipalities pay for similar positions.
In dialogue before the actual hiring, DeWitt said he approached VanSickle about the position shortly after his predecessor Curt Young announced his resignation.
“A lot of the things Curt was involved in overlapped with things I do in my position,” he said. “I approached the mayor with the idea that if the village hired me in the dual position, it could save money in the long run.”
Staff will be added to the water/sewer department to cover the physical work that DeWitt performed, and his new position will be totally administrative.
“I am familiar with other village operations and feel I can learn through working on the job,” he said.
Asked by Councilman Matt Young if he felt confident he could do both jobs, DeWitt answered “I am not a copycat Curt, and no one can do everything, but I worked more closely with Curt than anyone in the village. There are some things I will have to learn.”
Young encouraged DeWitt to call former administrator Young, who is now working with the Ashland City water department, when he has questions or problems.
This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Loudonville hires DeWitt as administrator
