Impressive qualifications or lots of hometown experience — that’s the problem Lake Orion Village Council members have been struggling with for two months.
They remain undecided after another attempt to hire a new department of public works superintendent at the council meeting on May 23. The position has been vacant for almost a year.
Council members in March split a vote 3-3 to hire Bill Pottinger, who works for Auburn Hills? Public Utilities Department. He later withdrew his application for the job.
Councilmen who were reluctant to hire Pottinger said they preferred to promote from within the DPW.
‘I think there are qualified people in the DPW,? councilman Tom Albert said.
Scott Baker, a former assistant director of municipal services for the City of Plymouth, was the latest candidate recommended by Lake Orion Village Manager JoAnn Van Tassel.
Seven people responded to the village’s latest request for applications. Three who met the required qualifications were interviewed.
Councilman Douglas Dendel described Baker as overqualified. ‘His responsibility here would be a lot less. He’s used to having more authority. And I thought we were looking for a working superintendent,? he said.
Council president Bill Siver, who was part of a committee selecting a superintendent, said each applicant was asked the same questions.
‘They were asked about being a working superintendent,? he said. ‘Baker indicated he wouldn’t be afraid to get his hands dirty, would get down into a hole.?
‘What a person says in an interview isn’t necessarily what he’s going to do,? Dendel said.
Dendel was also worried Baker lived too far away to respond quickly to an emergency situation.
According to Siver, Baker said he would move to the area.
Councilman John Ranville, the retired village DPW superintendent, said most of the village’s DPW employees can get to the village in five to 10 minutes.
Some council members wanted to know why Baker no longer worked for Plymouth.
‘He left because of budget cutbacks. He chose to resign to save jobs of other workers,? Van Tassel said.
Ranville would like to see Bruce Stallings, who was his assistant, get the job as superintendent.
‘He has 35-36 years experience. He more than qualifies. He cares about the village,? he said.
Stallings did not apply for the position. He lacks a Michigan Department of Environmental water testing license, a qualification required by the village.
According to state law, at least one municipal employee must have this license. No one in the village has one since Ranville retired.
Stallings was at the meeting and said he didn’t apply because he was told by the DEQ last year he couldn’t take out an application for the license. He has since been told he could apply this fall.
‘I want to see Stallings do the interview process,? Ken Van Portfliet said.
Councilman Bob Hollenbeck believes asking Stallings to do an interview isn’t fair to other candidates. ‘After we’ve selected a candidate, now we’re telling him he has to wait. It’s kind of too late for me in all fairness,? he said.
‘We owe to him (Stallings) to give him another chance,? Siver said.
Council members did agree to let Stallings fill out an application for the superintendent’s job and he will be interview for the position before the next council meeting in June.