Franklin Township trustees hammered out protocols for when department heads should contact Jim Stevens, the road maintenance and building supervisor with maintenance issues at a special meeting held Dec 10.
The meeting was called amid issues relating to an instance when Stevens took over getting the new generator at a fire station and when the fire station was asked to hold off on a painting job at the fire house.
Fire Chief Richard Howard was upset by comments made by Trustee Don Cook that were reported in the Dec. 8 edition of the Westside Messenger.
“I take offense to the reports in the Messenger that I got my firemen mad because we couldn’t change a bulb. That was never said and never done. The board was given a letter to have my guys contact you,” said Howard.
Howard said the letter emphasized his men use common sense because he was on vacation and did not want bothered by trivial things.
Trustee Chairman Timothy Guyton admitted he misspoke when he told the firemen to let the maintenance crew do the paint job, saying he thought at the time the fire crew did not need the extra work.
The trustees and department heads decided that each department can take care of their own minor maintenance issues but to call Stevens first on any major maintenance jobs or issues that the township would have to hire out for.
“Our general consensus was it goes back to common sense. Everyone takes care of their own minor problems but if they couldn’t take care of that little problem or had a problem doing it or needed help, they would contact you. If it gets beyond your hands, you contact someone else, oversee it and make sure the job gets done correct,” said Cook.
