Fort closer to hiring officer (01/03/07)

FORT RECOVERY - Village council members here are getting closer to hiring a full-time police officer.

Council members met in executive session Tuesday night to discuss candidates for the opening, village administrator Randy Diller said this morning.

Currently, Police Chief Jared Laux is the only full-time officer working at the Fort Recovery police department.

A part-time officer works approximately one day a week, Diller added.

This position has been open since October when Laux was named chief.

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Council members authorized Laux to finalize background checks for two applicants and contact council members as soon as the checks are finished.

Diller said this morning that council members may meet before a scheduled Jan. 15 meeting to fill this position if the results of the background checks are completed before then.

Also Tuesday, Fort Recovery mayor Roger Broerman reappointed council members to various boards and committees for 2007. There were no changes because no terms expired this year.

Board reappointments include John Ickes, cemetery board; Dean Zehringer, income tax review board; Bill Bechtol, park board; Diana Grile, George Stammen, Scott Zehringer, zoning board; Neal Spencer, planning commissioner; Tina Bechtol, Paul McDaniel, design review board and Rod Thobe was renamed as the Southwest Mercer Fire Districts Representative.

Council members were also reappointed to committees Tuesday. These reappointments include Rod Thobe, Dave Bretz, Dave Garman, finance committee; Dave Kaup, Al Post, Scott Pearson, research committee; Al Post, zoning board representative; Al Post, planning commission representative; Scott Pearson, design review board representative and Dave Garman, police department advisory committee. Rod Thobe was reappointed as village council president.

In other business, board members approved an ordinance adopting temporary appropriations.

These totals will be used to pay bills until final appropriations are approved by April 1, Diller said.

Approved appropriations include: $118,000 for salaries; $58,000 for utilities; $50,000 for supplies and refunds; $40,000 for the capital funds; $25,000 for income tax refunds and $40,000 for other expenses.

According to the resolution, these funds are necessary for legal expenditures of village funds until permanent appropriations are established.

The council's next scheduled meeting is Monday, Jan. 15 at 7:30 p.m.[[In-content Ad]]