Antrim employee promoted after firings resigns post
After two executive sessions during one meeting, the Antrim Township Board of Supervisors accepted the resignation of roadmaster Paul Minnich on Feb. 23. It was effective Feb. 15.
The board met for an hour before and after the regular 7 p.m. meeting to discuss personnel issues. They took several steps to address the absence of a roadmaster/maintenance superintendent.
Minnich had e-mailed the township Feb. 15 resigning his position immediately. He sent another e-mail resigning as emergency management coordinator.
The board appointed board chairman Rick Baer as acting roadmaster, with the salary to be set by the Antrim Township elected auditors. Baer will serve parttime, said Antrim administrator Brad Graham. He will handle the office-related work and give direction to the affected employees. Baer was also authorized to schedule temporary parttime personnel if necessary to complete projects. They will be paid at the established part-time labor rate.
The board gave Graham permission to bring in professional help as needed to inspect ongoing projects, and consultants for advice on ongoing operations in the absence of a township roadmaster/maintenance superintendent.
The supervisors are considering reformatting Minnich’s position for the future, Graham said. He will advertise the job vacancy, listing it as roadmaster/or public works director. “The job description is still nebulous,” he added.
Minnich was hired by Antrim Township on Oct. 29, 2007 as a laborer and promoted to his post on Sept. 9, 2008. On Aug. 21 supervisors Curtis Myers, Fred Young III, Sam Miller and Rick Baer had fired six key employees, based on a controversial operations study conducted by Dhillon Management Services of Fullerton, Calif.
Matt Dhillon recommended the board cut eight employees, one-third of the workforce. One employee had resigned before the meeting and the board fired manager Ben Thomas Jr., utilities director Charles Goetz, utilities superintendent Larson Wenger, roadmaster Paul Barnett, assistant roadmaster Robert Wible and financial secretary Eileen Strausner.