Interim borough manager hired
By PAT FRIDGEN Echo Pilot

An interim replacement for Greencastle borough manager Ken Myers will begin work this week or next, with the two men spending three days together for the transition. After Myers' last day Nov. 9, Kenneth Womack of Carlisle will serve three days a week, to a maximum of 22 hours.

Womack has a master's degree in Systems Management and attended the Army War College. He is a retired Air Force Colonel. His municipal experience includes Carlisle Assistant Borough Manager and Planning/Zoning/Codes Manager, both for nearly four years. Robert Sabatini of Keystone Municipal Services, Mechanicsburg, met with Borough Council Oct. 25 to present an option for filling the post. His firm provides interim management personnel.

Sabatini suggested 20 hours per week at $80 per hour, payable to Keystone.

"You'd be hard-pressed to continue operations with anything less, unless the workload is delegated to someone else," he said.

He added that in larger municipalities the going rate was $90 to $100 per hour.

"Certainly it's not cheap," said council member Harold Duffey, "but we have to keep the borough running. We have a lot going on; it's the end of the year."

Sabatini said the person hired would also need mileage reimbursement for no more than 100 miles per day, at the IRS rate of 48.5 cents per mile. He would not be paid for travel time, only office time.

The council members determined that the cost of hiring the interim would about equal what it had been paying Myers fulltime with benefits. His salary of $59,000 was financed by three sources. Half came from the general fund, a quarter from the sewer fund, and a quarter from the Greencastle Area Franklin County Water Authority.

With approximately $1800 per week in place for Womack's services, probably for months, council also wanted GAFCWA to contribute its share.

Duffey confirmed that the contract was at will and could be cancelled with a seven-day notice. It also did not provide any vacation time or benefits.

Council members expressed opinions that while the new manager would keep the day-to-day operations going, it was also an opportunity for a new set of eyes to evaluate how business was done and perhaps offer ideas on streamlining systems and enhancing technology. They said it was also a time to look at splitting the responsibilities among other people.

Administrative assistant Ann Amsley later said the current office staff could not take on the work Myers spent the last 30 years doing.

"It's over our head," she said. "We have our own duties and re- sponsibilities. It's naive to think we can do it."

The other staff includes Lori Young, fulltime payroll/billing clerk and Deanne Gearhart, parttime secretary.

Sabatini said Monday it was company policy not to release details of the employment agreement with its employees or contractors, but he believed the rate to the borough was fair, compared with the other professional services the borough hires, including accountants, engineers and attorneys.

"As a corporation, we have overhead," he explained. "With several municipal managers on staff, as well as individuals with other skill sets, we have the ability to answer questions quickly and accurately. We provide extensive guidance to both the governing board and the interim manager on nearly any local government topic."

He said if a municipality does not use a professional manager who understands the laws and regulations, it oftentimes finds itself in non-conformance with state and federal laws.

Womack, 58, commented Tuesday morning, "Essentially I have been hired to provide interim municipal management services in order to maintain professional administration and support to the Borough during the transition period between municipal managers. I will be meeting with Ken Myers and Bob Sabatini in the near future to get a better understanding of the specific expectations and it is my intent to meet those expectations."

Money odds and ends

Following a recommendation by Myers, which council concurrred was a wise idea, it hired Charles Frame of Boyer and Ritter to audit the financial records of the borough. The procedure would protect both Myers and the municipality.

Frame did not think a full audit was necessary, but rather a sampling from various accounts. He asked to meet with the Finance Committee to establish 'agreed upon procedures'. He said the cost for the audit would depend on what was done, and it would be conducted in-house. He expected the report and opinion would be ready by Dec. 31.

The council also suspended Myers' authority to sign checks, effective Oct. 26. Council members and Myers agreed it was good business to take that step. They decided the interim manager would likely not be authorized to sign checks. That would be covered by Council President Charles Eckstine, Vice President Paul Schemel and Administration and Finance Committee Chairman Harry Foley.

The borough allows one signature for checks up to $2500. Above that amount, two people must sign.

Police officer hired

Following an executive session, the council also voted to offer a contract to one of the four police officer candidates on the Civil Service Commission Eligibility List. The position would be fulltime.

Myers said the person could start in about four weeks, after meeting conditions. Those were standard procedure: passing a physical, a police pyschological examination and a background check.

With the new officer on staff, Greencastle would have three fulltime officers and five parttime, but no chief yet. The council is currently narrowing down the prospects. Schemel said the Public Safety Committee was recommending four candidates. He invited the entire council to review the applications on file in the office and if all were agreeable at the borough council meeting Nov. 5, to set dates for the interviews.