No scheduled interviews for Public Works Dept.

By Roxie Murphy, Staff Writer
Posted 5/24/23

BELLE — A special meeting on Friday afternoon resulted in Belle aldermen waiting to interview unsolicited public works applicants until the positions can be advertised and hiring Jim Goben as …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

No scheduled interviews for Public Works Dept.

Posted

BELLE — A special meeting on Friday afternoon resulted in Belle aldermen waiting to interview unsolicited public works applicants until the positions can be advertised and hiring Jim Goben as seasonal help.

Alderman Jeanette Struemph on Tuesday said that the city has yet to advertise for public works department employees, even though it was a discussion two weeks ago when Tony Baretich, the former director, and Chase Jacquin submitted their resignations. Rodney Turner later submitted his resignation as he took a position in Bland. All three former employees last day was on Friday.

“I hate to make us look bad,” Struemph said on May 23 about hiring a new public works department. “There should have been better movement, quicker movement, more movement, and everything ready to fall in place and applications taken so we can move on this. I got the impression (the ad was supposed to run)two weeks ago. Said last week it didn’t run. We need to get it done. It’s not running this week either.”

Struemph said the special May 19 meeting was mostly discussion.

“We just had discussion considering contracting work out,” Struemph said. “That didn’t work too well. As far as hiring, we need to put something in the paper for applications before we do anything. We talked about that. I don’t know if (Mayor Daryl White, Jr.) had applications or if he had just talked to people, but he had a few names. I felt we should advertise for two weeks before we do anything, but I guess word has gotten around and some folks have put in applications.”

When Struemph was informed on Tuesday afternoon that no one had contacted the newspaper about advertising for city help in any department, she said it would put off hiring anyone that much longer.

“The position has got to be advertised,” she said. “I thought it was being done this week. I honestly thought with our discussion that Daryl (White, Jr.) was going to see it was done. I can’t push the blame somewhere that I really don’t know. But after the discussion, I would have thought that, well, let’s get it in the paper.”

Struemph later called the advertising department and requested ads for both a public works employee and seasonal help be ran.

“There haven’t been any water main breaks happen,” Struemph said. “We don’t have a back up plan if one does happen. I think we would have to hire to get an outside source to help us out in the interim.”

Struemph added that Goben was hired to mow grass for two weeks as a seasonal hire, with more duties possibly added in the future.