By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter
Bronson Town Council members voted Monday to advertise for a deputy clerk to replace Susie Robinson and for a part-time maintenance worker, but the board wasn’t unanimous on what salary to offer Robinson’s replacement.
When the dust settled, the board voted to advertise the position with a salary range of $10 to $13.50 per hour depending on education, experience in clerical work and how well they handle themselves in the interview.
The motion was 4-1 to advertise the position and including the salary range agreed upon by four of the council members, with Councilwoman Beatrice Roberts opposed to the motion.
Discussion of the salaries wasn’t listed on the agenda sent to Spotlight by the clerk. Roberts accepted responsibility for the miscue saying she submitted the information late.
Fire Chief Dennis Russell carried an agenda to the meeting with the salary discussion listed, but the Town of Bronson website didn’t have the salary discussion listed on the agenda.
Robinson left the town recently after 9 years of work. She finished with a salary of $15.49 per hour. She was paid accrued salary and vacation time of $770.62.
Councilman Jason Hunt had suggested a salary range of $10 to $14 per hour depending on the level of experience. He wanted the top salary level to be reserved for those applicants with exceptional skills that might not otherwise be interested in the position.
Roberts was thinking more along the lines of $10 to $12 per hour for the deputy clerk but her motion failed on a 3-2 vote, with Councilman Robert Partin and Roberts voting yes and Mayor Bruce Greenlee joining council members Katie Parks and Hunt in voting against the motion.
Parks ultimately prevailed with her motion to offer a salary range of $10 to $13.50. Her motion was a compromise with Hunt’s suggestion.
The part-time maintenance worker’s salary was less controversial. The council eventually settled on a salary range of $8.75 to $10 per hour depending on the level of experience.
Greenlee said the town hasn’t had a part-time maintenance worker for a long time. The town currently employs two full-time maintenance workers, Russell Mitchem and Glen Smith.
The town has no established guidelines providing the salary range for town employees. The council typically discusses the salary range when a position comes open.
IN OTHER BUSINESS:
Building and Zoning Contractor Slacking?
Town Attorney Steven Warm agreed to send a letter to the private company serving as Bronson’s building and zoning contractor, M.T. Causley, raising questions about the company’s failure to work with customers.
Ray Samec of Flying Pig Development, LLC., said he has made repeated calls to find out how far along the company is with writing a revision to the town’s Land Development Code to allow residential cluster developments but has received no response.
Samec and his wife Heidi are proposing to build a cluster development of small homes in Bronson but the town’s LDC makes no mention of residential cluster developments.
M.T. Causley is paid by the project. Using a private contractor eliminates the need for a full-time employee to handle building and zoning issues, but inefficiency by the company is raising eyebrows.
Warm said when he receives a response from M.T. Causley he will notify the clerk. The clerk, Pamela Whitehead, can contact Samec.
Samec said he doesn’t want to keep coming back to council meetings to pester the board about not getting cooperation from its building and zoning contractor. He wants an estimate of time when the proposed LDC amendment will be finished.
Tony Thomas said he and his wife, Natalie, have run into the same problem with M.T. Causley.
BLUEBERRY FESTIVAL COMING
• The town is preparing for the annual Bronson Blueberry Festival on May 19th. The Blueberry Festival pageant is scheduled for 9 a.m. this Saturday, May 12, at the Bronson Elementary School cafeteria. Eighteen contestants will compete.
The Blueberry Festival Parade is set for 6:30 p.m. on May 18 on U.S. 27A. Businesses and private individuals who wish to be in the parade can enter until the day before the parade.
Adding Wastewater Motor
• Council members voted to authorize Public Works Director Erik Wise purchase a replacement spray pump motor for the spray field at the wastewater treatment plant. The cost is $10,525.25. Wise said the motor should be installed within a two-week time frame.
Accepting State DOT Funds
• The council authorized Greenlee to enter into an agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation for traffic light maintenance. DOT is providing $3,307 to the town for the maintenance. The council also authorized Greenlee to enter an agreement with DOT to pay for street lighting maintenance and compensation in the amount of $19,524.77.
Town of Bronson Regular Meeting May 7, 2018
Posted May 7, 2018
