At odds

EAST LIVERPOOL - Two items were on the agenda for a special meeting of the East Liverpool Board of Education Wednesday night. The board only passed one of them.

After tempers grew and after two unsuccessful attempts to pass one item, the meeting ended with several board members getting out of their seats and saying the meeting was over.

At issue was Superintendent Ken Halbert's absence from the immediate area due to a three-week vacation in Florida.

Halbert started his vacation on Saturday, but board President Gary Bonnell said he was concerned about Halbert being away and no one was in place to act as a designated purchasing agent for the district. That duty is normally assigned to the superintendent.

For Wednesday night's special meeting, Bonnell added the matter to the agenda, seeking board passage to assign someone as a representative for Halbert so documents could be signed.

Bonnell started to explain the need for a designee, but board member Janice Martin told Bonnell, "This discussion is out of order," because no motion was made.

Board member Scott Dieringer made the motion to assign a designated purchasing agent in Halbert's absence, and Bonnell seconded the motion, opening up a broader discussion of the issue.

"I kind of question if we need to do this or are allowed to do this," Martin said, adding that Halbert indicated he would be available by phone, fax or FedEx if something required his attention.

Bonnell pointed to two letters written by Halbert before his vacation. In one letter, Halbert states he will be returning to the office on July 23 and told board members, "If you need me before that time, please only telephone me on my cell phone in the event of an emergency."

Halbert said he intended to call his secretary each day during the work week to pick up messages or hear concerns.

In a letter dated June 27, Halbert told board members and Treasurer Dan Telzrow that since he (Halbert) is the purchasing agent, the board could hold all requisitions until his return or contact the board attorney to see if someone could be appointed in his place. Halbert added that the option of overnight mailing "is probably not doable because I'll be on the move quite a bit in Florida ..."

Bonnell said he attempted to contact Halbert several times during the course of the weekend, but did not receive a return call. Specifically, Bonnell said he believed an emergency occurred when the recent storm front passed and caused damage to North Elementary School.

"He never gave me the courtesy of a phone call," Bonnell said, adding at one point, "That is the wrong way to run a railroad."

Martin questioned if the emergency existed and said the air vent that came off the North Elementary roof and the subsequent alarm were handled by maintenance supervisor Mark Reed.

Bonnell said other issues surfaced like problems with a domestic water pump that warranted Halbert's attention.

Dieringer said he spoke with Halbert before the board meeting Wednesday and got from the superintendent fax numbers and an address where he is currently staying in Florida.

When Martin said she, too, had been in contact with Halbert by phone, Bonnell asked, "Did you ask the superintendent why he didn't call the board president?"

"My concern is the costliness in doing this," Telzrow told board members about mailing packages overnight to Florida and back. Telzrow added that there is a stack of invoices and purchase orders that require Halbert's signature or the signature of a designee.

"I just think appointing someone is the right thing," Telzrow said.

Bonnell said East Liverpool High School Principal Jack Cunningham had agreed to take on the obligation, prompting Dieringer to amend his original motion specifying Cunningham. Bonnell seconded the motion.

With the absence of board member Robert Estell, both Martin and fellow board member Larry Walton voted against the amendment while Dieringer and Bonnell voted for it. With a 2-2 tie, the motion failed.

"It is my understanding that Mr. Halbert is the purchasing agent, and he is able to handle it," Martin said before the meeting ended.

"We are killing ourselves," Dieringer said, concerning the bickering amongst board members.

"I'm bothered because it puts us in another spot where we look very bad and can't seem to complete a simple task," Dieringer said. "If Ken (Halbert) wants to do it while he's on vacation, then so be it. This shouldn't have been that big of an ordeal."

Bonnell again stressed the point that the last communication he had with Halbert was on Saturday and, at the tail end of the meeting, used his cell phone to call Halbert in Florida. Halbert answered the call, and Bonnell put him on speakerphone.

Since it was not clear if Halbert was aware that reporters were present and listening to the conversation, The Review has opted to not report on the discussions involved.

As for the other item on the agenda, the board voted 4-0 to revise an existing contract for the maintenance plan with Four Seasons Environmental.

Concerning the matter with Halbert, Bonnell said, by law, the superintendent is supposed to sign every purchase order that comes through unless he is on sick leave or unless a designee is named.

"I tried, believe it or not, to be a nice guy in this whole mess to get someone else to do it for him while he's on vacation," Bonnell said.

Wednesday's meeting ended without a vote for adjournment, prompting Bonnell to say late Wednesday that it, technically, was still going on.