By Tracy Ouellette
Editor
East Troy Village Board President Randy Timms presented the board Monday night at its regular meeting with a plan to expand the role of village president for a limited time to help get some of the special projects such as the library expansion and furthering the Community Development Authority.
“What I recommended to the board was that we have an opportunity to make some progress on these special project that the department heads don’t have time for because their jobs are so full. We make progress, but it’s slow in coming,” Timms said Tuesday morning.
“What I suggested is that if I have the time, why not allow me to work on those special projects? And yes, I want to be compensated for that time, but we’re talking an additional 1,000 a year of work for and additional $8,000 in pay. That comes to $8 an hour,” he continued.
In Timms proposal to the board, he laid out a plan for this expanded role to take place after the next election cycle and would run from the third Monday in April of 2015 until March 30, 2017.
“I’m not against this, but there are a few things I’m uncomfortable with,” Trustee Dusty Stanford said. “I think having you really out there, shaking hands, making contacts with businesses is a wonderful thing, and being paid for it is fine, but the board needs to be kept up to date with what you’re doing. The board needs regular reports on all your activities.”
Timms agreed that the board needed to be aware of his work and who he was meeting with.
Stanford also didn’t like the open ended wording on Timms proposal regarding travel expenses.
“You could fly to China, not that I think you would, but you could,” he said with a laugh.
Timms said he was fine with whatever the board decided on the expenses.
“Our evolution as a village has gotten to the point where we could go to a mayoral format. I don’t know if were there yet at this time, but that’s how we came to this idea,” Timms said, reminding the board of how the proposal came about after a May meeting.
“The thing I’m concerned about is that it’s making a change to the office as it sits now and I think the voters should have a say in this,” Trustee Forty Renucci said. “I think you have to have the electors vote on this.
Trustee Ann Zess disagreed, saying this was a temporary thing and it didn’t change the role of the president permanently so it didn’t need to be taken to referendum.
“I think they elect us to make these types of decisions,” Zess said.
“We’re not increasing the authority or power of the position,” Stanford agreed. “We’re not crowning anyone here. Right now we all have full-time jobs and we can’t spend an extra 1,000 hours a year shaking hands and making contacts. This allows the person to dedicate that time to promoting business in the village.”
Renucci said the thought this whole idea was coming about because Timms was considering retiring.
Timms said the timing was opportune for both parties because of that; he was going to have the time to dedicate to the special projects and make connections to further the village’s interests.
“The village is at a unique period of time and you’re right it’s attractive to me, but it’s a value to the village, too,” Timms said.
Trustee Chris Gultch brought up the matter of transparency again, citing Timms discussions with Dave Strand when Wisconsin Oven was looking to expand in East Troy. Gultch had an issue that Timms didn’t immediately come to the board after Strand contacted him and they had a meeting where Strand told Timms of the possible plans for the new plant.
Timms told Gultch that Strand specifically told him not to bring it to the board at that time because nothing had been decided and Strand didn’t want the word out until the company had solid plans. Timms said that it’s common practice with businesses to not want that type of information announced at a board meeting while in the planning stages.
Other board members defended Timms actions in regard to the Wisconsin Oven plant saying that it was the president’s job to have meetings like that to help promote business in the area. Clerk-Treasurer Eileen Suhm added that businesses and residents often come to her with similar issues and requests for information to help them form a workable plan, but that they don’t want to take it to the Village Board until those plans are finalized.
The board voted to budget the additional $8,000 to the president’s pay for the expanded role in 2015, but didn’t vote to approve the expanded role with several members saying they wanted a little more discussion. Timms abstained from the vote. Renucci voted against the budget addition.
