Authority questions director’s request

The former airport director turned in a request for payment of about 1,000 hours of accrued sick and vacation time.

STAFF REPORT

VIENNA — Western Reserve Port Authority board members are challenging the request of former airport director Steve Bowser for payment of about $10,000 in accumulated vacation and sick time.

Bowser was director of aviation at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport until he started a new job this month as second in command at the Palm Springs International Airport in Southern California.

At a meeting Wednesday, port authority member Don Hanni III said he opposed giving Bowser the $10,000. Hanni’s opposed despite an agreement the port authority approved with Bowser in 2006 that he would be paid the same as the agreement in place with the airport’s union employees: He would be paid 35 percent of his accrued sick time and vacation time.

John Masternick, port authority chairman, said he agrees that management employees are not entitled to that type of compensation.

“There is no such thing as accumulated sick time for management employees,” Masternick said.

He and other port authority members agreed to offer Bowser $1,000.

Port authority member Thomas Petrarca said he thinks port authority members believed in 2006 that the accrued time would cost only around $1,000 or $2,000. Instead, Bowser turned in a request for 35 percent of about 1,000 hours of accrued time.

The discussion of what to pay Bowser occurred after Hanni made a motion, seconded by port authority member Scott Lewis, that the discussion be in public rather than in private.

At least two board members noted that the question of how much Bowser should be paid is no reflection on the work Bowser did as airport director.

Bowser, reached by telephone Wednesday, said he found the board’s comments “very discouraging” and added that he thinks it “sends a bad message” to the airport’s current employees and whoever might be hired to replace him.

Port Authority member Scott Lynn said he planned to contact Bowser today on the matter.

Lynn, chairman of the transition committee running the airport until a replacement for Bowser is found, said about 15 r sum s have been received so far to replace Bowser. Bowser was due to earn $54,764 this year.

Interviews with candidates will start after the field is narrowed within a couple weeks, he said.

The port authority will also review management proposals received in recent years to determine whether a management company could be selected to fill the position instead, Lynn said.