Etna Township ends contract with consultant, interviews administrator candidates
As Etna Township prepares to hire a full-time administrator, it's parting with the management consultant it's worked with since last April.
The trustees unanimously accepted the termination of the contract with Bill Vance's local government consulting firm, WMV, LLC, effective March 11 during a special meeting Tuesday night.
Trustees Jeff Johnson and Rozland McKee thanked Vance for his work since the township contracted with him in April.
"You were very professional. We got a lot of things done. I would like to wish you all the best in your future," McKee said to Vance.
Trustee Mark Evans, who had been openly critical of contracting with Vance and clashed with him throughout Vance's time with the township, said he'd stay quiet.
The termination coincides with the township interviewing candidates for a full-time administrator position. Two candidates were interviewed in a special meeting Feb. 3 and two additional applicants were interviewed at the Tuesday meeting in executive session. The board did not vote to an administrator during the meeting.
Vance confirmed after the meeting that the contract's termination was part of the "natural progression" of the township moving forward with hiring a full-time administrator.
"They're moving forward, hiring an administrator, and that was the plan to begin with and after 10 months I'm glad we made a lot of progress and we found our way to this point where they can substantiate hiring a full time person," he said.
McKee said previously Vance will stay with the township for about a month to help train the new administrator before ending his work with the township.
The special meeting was held Tuesday because the regular Feb. 7 meeting was canceled after Licking County Sheriff's Office deputies were called to township hall Feb. 6 after Evans got into an altercation with a township employee.
The Feb. 6 incident was not mentioned publicly during the meeting and a sheriff's deputy, who normally attends each meeting, was not present.
Overall the meeting was fairly calm but did feature the familiar squabbles between the trustees. Evans voted against the approving the agenda because an item he requested wasn't included as well as voting against approving the minutes for the Dec. 20 meeting because motions he made that did not receive a second were not included.
Evans also voted against applying for a grant from the Licking Parks District. The grant, which is open to numerous townships and cities within the county, would to go toward a new park that is in the works north of U.S. 40 and west of Smoke Road. McKee said the township has to match the funds provided by the parks district and they must be used to build a new feature, such as a dog park, restrooms, picnic shelter or parking lots.
If the money is not used this year, McKee said it rolls over into 2024.
Evans said these are the types of grants the township should be applying for. But when McKee made the motion she she be the one to sign off on the application, he questioned why it would not come before the whole board.
McKee said as she is the trustee that oversees parks, she will work with the administrator once they are hired to complete the application.
mdevito@gannett.com
740-607-2175
Twitter: @MariaDeVito13
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Etna ends contract with consultant, interviews admin candidates
