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Commissioners to hold special meeting to address hirings

By Patty Yauger pyauger@heraldstandard.Com 3 min read
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Ambrosini

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Zapotosky

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Zimmerlink

Fayette County commissioners will meet in special session Monday to finalize some unfinished business.

Commissioner Vince Zapotosky, who, along with Commissioner Al Ambrosini, called for the end-of-year meeting, said a few items have yet to be resolved and he would like to see them completed before he leaves office.

“We want to leave everything neat and tidy for the new administration,” he said.

Some of the issues to be finalized include filling two positions earlier created by the salary board.

At the Dec. 15 meeting, the board agreed to create a parks and recreation manager position and a human resource department administrative assistant post.

In a memorandum supporting the creation of the recreation manager, Bob Carson, county building and grounds director, said the position would benefit the county.

“A successful park and trails program provides residents with an increased quality of life and adds to the overall health and well-being of residents,” he said. “A well run park and trails program can provide economic incentives both directly and indirectly.

“Trails, specifically the Great Allegheny Passage, have already had a huge economic impact in the county.

“Expansion and eventual completion of the Sheepskin Trail would create similar results.

“These trails encourage tourism and tourism-supported businesses.”

Carson will supervise the manager, according to the job description.

The candidate must have a minimum of five years’ experience with all facets of recreation planning, including master planning implementation, facility management/construction, programming and budgeting.

Also, the candidate must secure a parks and recreation professional certification within 12 months of employment and maintain the certification throughout employment with the county.

Carson said that the manager will have a variety of responsibilities, including the coordination of volunteers for the county-owned parks; coordinate park development; identify and procure grants and develop partnerships with municipal governments, non-profit organizations and other stakeholders and update and implement the county comprehensive parks, recreation, open space, greenways and trails plan.

According to the county’s website, the county parks are Dunlap Creek, German-Masontown and Jacobs Creek. The county trails are Browns Run and Sheepskin.

The salary board approved the annual $38,181 salary for the position.

Ambrosini said that the county is in the process of applying for a grant that would defray 75 percent of the cost.

During budget discussions, Denise Stepanik, human resource director, requested that the commissioners consider the creation of an administrative assistant to ease the workload of the office.

In addition to creating the position, the board also approved the $23,965 salary.

Zapotosky, meanwhile, did not reveal if any other action will be taken by the commissioners at the special meeting.

While he and Ambrosini have been chastised by Commissioner Angela M. Zimmerlink and others for extending contracts, hiring contractors and increasing wages, among other actions, Zapotosky said he would continue to conduct business until his last day in office.

“Our work is not done,” he said. “By law, we are commissioners until Jan. 3 at midnight.”

Ambrosini was defeated in his bid for re-election in November, while Zapotosky opted to step down after serving two terms in office.

Zapotosky said that end-of-year meetings are not unusual, noting a Dec. 31, 2007, meeting held by then-Commissioners Vince Vicites, Joseph A. Hardy III and Zimmerlink.

Although he was only a week away from joining the board, Vicites and Hardy hired a planning director and director of the tax claim office, said Zapotosky.

“We are not doing anything that has not been done in the past,” he added.

The meeting will be held at 10 a.m. in the Public Service Building conference room.

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