THE GANG THAT COULDN'T SHOOT STRAIGHT?

As reported earlier, the Township Clerk/Treasurer, Nanett Sandstrom, resigned not long ago.  The Deputy Clerk, Linda Wilson, was made Clerk, but was not able to do the CTAS bookkeeping as she hasn't been trained in that.  There were TWO Special Meetings on this topic. The Board at its December meeting, or more precisely, Supervisor Brian Budenski, asked Linda what she needed to help her
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Linda replied that she had talked to Nanett and Nanett was willing to stay on for a couple of more months and perhaps might even stay on after that.  Linda had already sworn Nanett in so that the December Financial Reports could be done. She said she would like to work with Nanett for at least this transitional period.


However, three Supervisors, Storlie, Ceminsky, and Madden, appeared to have a problem with that. Chair's Storlie's "impeccable" logic presented publicly was that, since, Nanett had been both Clerk and Treasurer before, and would now have reduced responsibilities as just Treasurer, she should take a cut in pay!  She was paid "x" to do "a" and "b."  She did either "a" or "b" at one time, right; she didn't do both at once?  So now she could do just "b," thus having fewer hours and thus earning less money, but Storlie wants to also dock her hourly pay by, as I recall, roughly 20%!

So you have an employee who has been here for 14 years.  Is she suddenly less experienced to do "b?"  Has she suddenly forgotten all her training on CTAS? Has she suddenly not been here at Eureka for as long as she has? What real justification does Mr. Storlie have to reduce her hourly pay? How insulting is that!? Personally, I think the three Supervisors who voted to reduce her pay figured she wouldn't accept their "New Deal," and this was a way to seem "reasonable" (?), leaving her to make the call.  

Well, she did.  "No Way!" was her reported answer.  Can you blame her? I surely do not.

So now we have no Treasurer.  A very nice person (I have met her) from Castle Rock has agreed to fill in in that capacity for a while, but she does not want the job.  Linda Wilson does not want the job; in fact, she is looking for another job. She has stayed on for now because of concern for the citizens of Eureka. She doesn't even live here, but SHE has concern for the citizens of Eureka!  Where is the Board's concern, I wonder?

Oh!  Lest I forget! Who told Nanett she no longer has a job here after the Board's vote?  NOT CHAIR STORLIE!  NOT SUPERVISOR CEMINSKY!  NOT SUPERVISOR MADDEN!  Not even Supervisors Budenski and Miller who would have liked to see her stay.  Oh no, not the Fortitudinous Five! They let Linda be the bearer of the bad news!  Isn't that nice? Really stand-up.



In fact, as of one o'clock on New Year's Eve, it was believed that not one of the five has yet even called Nanett to get the password for the website from her.  They HAVE called another citizen who did work on the website in the past, but not the logical person, Nanett! This is the reason the Agritourism Task Force minutes have not been posted as requested and as has been done for other task forces! No call to Nanett: no password!  Is the Board doing its best to inform the public here?  I would say, no, definitely not.

Also, as of one o'clock on New Year's Eve, there still has not been an ad placed in the newspaper seeking a replacement even though that request has been made a few times.  The current temporary replacement doesn't want the job! There are end-of-year reports to be done as well as the usual monthly work.  Shouldn't we start looking for someone new since we have chucked away the person who has served us well for the last nearly decade and a half?


Related but different: You recall the Conditional Use Permit for Living Waters Church on Dodd Boulevard? You might recall that I reported on that public hearing, including Commissioner Hansen's testifying as a member of the public AND serving as Planning Commissioner!

Hansen was to assist Linda with drafting a letter to the applicants, explaining what else they have to submit for a complete application. There has to be another public hearing.  The Township is picking up the tab for that. Well, as of one o'clock on New Year's Eve, Hansen has not been by to get this letter finished and sent.  This made me wonder has ANYONE contacted the applicants or the realtor at all? The answer was that to the best of knowledge, no one had yet called them  to let them know where they stood on the matter. If that is true, how are you being represented?  Remember, the first public hearing was on December 5th.  New Year's Eve was three and one half weeks later!

Put yourself in the applicants' shoes.  What would be your impression of Eureka Township? Sure you still want to be here?
Put yourself in the realtor's shoes. She has already expressed real concerns regarding the Board's actions at the November meeting. She would like the sale to go through.  Time is money.
Put yourself in the bank's shoes.  You finally have a buyer for the property.  Is the Township going to handle this so poorly that your buyer decides it's not worth it and goes to look elsewhere?

The gang that couldn't shoot straight?  I think their aim is straight--straight into their collective foot!