CANFIELD TOWNSHIP Trustees vote to let 3 attend meetings

The clerk operates the tape recorder when the secretary is not at a meeting.
By IAN HILL
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
CANFIELD -- Township Trustee Judy Bayus says the township's secretary shouldn't be getting paid overtime to perform the clerk's duties at meetings.
On Monday, Bayus voted against a resolution stating that township Secretary Marianna Cunningham, Zoning Inspector Dave Morrison, and Road Superintendent Gary Cook should attend trustees' meetings. Trustees Bill Reese and Paul Moracco voted in favor of the resolution, which was approved.
Cook and Morrison use meetings to update trustees about the operations of their departments, and Cunningham has operated the township's tape recorder. She also has typed the meeting minutes.
Cunningham, Cook and Morrison are members of the township employees union.
The union's contract states that they can be paid overtime for attending the meetings.
Bayus said Clerk Carmen Heasley should be taping the meetings and typing the minutes. Heasley operates the tape recorder and types the minutes when Cunningham is not at the meeting.
Cunningham has not attended several meetings this year. She was on vacation Monday.
Knowledge of township
Trustee Bill Reese, however, said Cunningham should be allowed to attend the meetings as an employee, meaning that she'd be paid, so she can be aware of what's going on in the township.
He noted that Cunningham is typically the first person township residents speak with when they come into township hall.
Reese added that trustees previously allowed the secretary, zoning inspector and road superintendent to attend meetings as employees. He said he created the resolution to put that past practice into writing.
But Bayus said trustees agreed in 2001 not to have Cunningham operate the tape recorder at meetings. She also said she doesn't know of any other local townships that pay the secretary to take minutes at trustees meetings.
Heasley said the secretary takes the minutes in Coitsville Township.
Reese's resolution also allows Cook to approve overtime for road department employees.
Bayus said only trustees should approve overtime.
hill@vindy.com