Tensions flared among the Jerome Township Board of Trustees Tuesday night as the members considered the creation of a new staff position.
Disagreements emerged as two trustees advocated for the hiring of a new Roads Division employee, while another said he was not aware the position was even advertised.
Ultimately, the board decided to table the proposed hiring of Travis Brinkman after Trustee Barry Adler said the topic – which was added to the agenda at the start of the meeting – took him “by surprise.”
“So you’re asking to create yet another position?” Adler asked.
“Yes,” responded Roads Superintendent Breht Fillinger.
Trustee Wezlynn Davis, though, said she did not consider it a new position. She argued that the township is continuing to grow and the Roads Division should grow accordingly.
Likewise, Trustee Megan Sloat said she has previously spoken with Fillinger regarding his concerns about the current workload for the Roads Division, even after the township recently filled a position.
She said a new employee would help with plowing during the winter, as the township is responsible for 44.9 lane miles (which doubles when plowed both ways), and had to enlist help from the Jerome Township Division of Fire last season.
Sloat said Fillinger indicated that some larger jobs require more hands than the current staff size of three. For that reason, Sloat said Fillinger does not have enough time to spend in his supervisory role.
Extra responsibilities covered by the new employee could include assisting with burials at the cemetery and mechanical maintenance.
Increasing the staff size to four would also allow employees to more easily request time off, Sloat said.
Adler did not dispute the reasoning provided by Sloat and Fillinger, but asked why the position was posted without full consent from the board.
Sloat emphasized that the application from Brinkman was not received from “a separate solicitation.” Instead, a copy of his job application indicates it was submitted on April 12 when the vacant, third Roads Division staff position was advertised.
Still, Adler said the township only advertised one opening. He said he never knew staff was in need of two employees when the trustees recently chose to hire another candidate.
He added that he was concerned that Fillinger is a personal reference on Brinkman’s application, along with the fact that Brinkman’s listed address is close to the Roads Superintendent’s residence.
Fillinger confirmed that Brinkman is his “neighbor… he’s just somebody I know.”
Adler said he feared it could appear as though the township is creating a position for the Roads Superintendent’s acquaintance.
Davis adamantly countered the concerns raised by Adler.
“That’s an accusation, Barry, I do not appreciate,” Davis told him.
Fillinger insisted that the recommendation to hire Brinkman was based on the need for additional help and the candidate’s qualifications, not his relationship with him.
“I’m not trying to make another position, I’m just trying to make it to where I can do stuff for this township,” Fillinger said.
Davis agreed, adding that she was “not worried” about Brinkman’s address but about the “merit” of his application.
Brinkman’s application indicates he has worked at Kirby Auto Parts since May 2010, where he does a variety of towing, truck and automotive repair and heavy equipment operation.
“It seems like this has already been decided,” Adler said.
Although Davis began to motion to approve the hiring of Brinkman, Sloat stopped her and asked if Adler had further concerns. She said she wanted to make it clear that the board was having a discussion and nothing had yet been decided.
“The floor is yours just as much as anyone else’s,” Sloat told Adler.
Although both Sloat and Davis said Fiscal Officer Robert Caldwell told them the township budget would allow for the hiring of another Roads Division employee, Adler said he wanted to discuss the “actual impact” on the budget with Caldwell, who was not present Tuesday.
Sloat said she was willing to table the discussion until the next trustees meeting, as she did not want to “ram this through.”
Davis, though, said she disagreed with Sloat.
She said many industries are having difficulties attracting applicants and she feared the delay could cause the township to lose a quality candidate. Davis also noted that the onboarding process would take four to five weeks, according to Fillinger.
Fillinger also asked Adler why he believed a fourth employee was not warranted. Fillinger said he has a seven-page list of tasks that need to be done.
“There’s plenty of work to do,” he said.
“Understood,” Adler responded.
Fillinger said he did not feel an extra two weeks’ time between the next trustees meeting would deter Brinkman’s interest in the position.