Gold Star for Village Administrator

The grades are in and Jim Wonacott made the dean’s list. Wonacott, in his 16h year as village administrator, scored high grades in the annual evaluation conducted by members of Blissfield Village Council and tabulated by Blissfield Village President Jae Guetschow.

Using a five-point scale, with one being unsatisfactory and five being outstanding, each council member was asked to grade Wonacott in nine areas, ranging from profession skills to residential relations. When all the votes were tabulated, Wonacott received an average score of 4.6, which puts him a little closer to outstanding (a five rating) than above average (a four rating).

Wonacott’s top rating came in fiscal management, where he scored a 4.8 rating.
“(Wonacott) makes the best possible use of available funds (and he is) conscious of the need to operate the village efficiently and effectively,” wrote one of the council members, in the evaluation.

His lowest rating came in the “personal” category, where he scored a 4.48.
“I find his appearance and attitude are very good as a representative of the village,” wrote another council member in the evaluation.

Most of the trustee comments were very positive. Even the sharpest criticism in the evaluation was rather soft.

“(He) could be more open to others’ ideas,” wrote one council member. Another said Wonacott shows “angst when (he) finds disagreement).”

The grades were a little incomplete, however, as e-mail confusion kept Guetschow from seeing Trustee Mike Gunter’s evaluation. Some of Trustee Mark Burgermeister’s survey incomplete.

Trustee A. Ray Jones commended Wonacott for his work for Blissfield, noting that it would be difficult to be managed by seven people with varying opinions, especially when the group changes every two years.

Wonacott said he found the evaluation helpful and that he appreciated the comments, as it helped him know where he needed to improve, or where he needed to stay sharp. Public employees are entitled to have their evaluation done in private, but Wonacott elects to have his done in public.

“I think the public has a right to know what council thinks of what I do,” said Wonacott.
In previous years, Wonacott worked from contract to contract, and the evaluation was used to negotiate his salary and benefits. But two years ago, Wonacott became a village employee and the evaluations no longer have such an important role his salary. In fact, with village employees working under a wage freeze, Wonacott hasn’t had a raise in four years.

• Council voted 7-0 to name Darlene Southward to the Downtown Development Authority board. The village has advertised the position for two months and she was the only person to show interest. Trustee Jones said he’d heard some express concerns about Southward being on the same board as her husband, Lynn, who is the DDA Chairman. Jones, Guetschow and Trustee Art Weeber credited her the work she did on the Main Street application Friess.”

“People had plenty of opportunity to apply for the position. So if anyone brings up the issue, so what?” Jones said.

Trustee George Brown said he didn’t believe that having a husband and wife on the same board presented a conflict of interest.

“Anyone who is married knows that a husband and wife don’t agree on anything. The only conflict I see here is the one they’re going to have after the meeting, when they go home and argue about things,” Brown said.

• Council voted 7-0 to pass the agreement spelling out the village’s participating in the Michigan Main Street program. Trustee Gunter expressed reservations about approving the agreement without seeing how the DDA was going to pay for the full-time Main Street manager, who will make $25,000 to $35,000 annually, plus benefits. Wonacott noted council already approved the Main Street application, which details the DDA’s plan to pay for the position.

There was also some discussion about who the Main Street manager would answer to. Wonacott explained that while the manager would be a village employee, he or she would answer to the DDA, in the same way the library director answers to the library board and not village council.

During the discussion, Wonacott informed council he has received nine applications for the position within just a few business days of posting the want ad.

• Although the job is already posted, council voted 7-0 to approve the Main Street manager want ad and job description. Wonacott requested council approve the text as a gesture of support to the DDA.

• Council voted 7-0 to award the Parkwood Street alley resurfacing project to Belsen Asphalt Paving, of Reading, for its quote of $3,219. The village is delaying the village office parking lot project until 2010-11.

• Council will have its annual budget workshop it the Aug. 16 committee-of-the-whole meeting. The meeting will start at 6 p.m. The public hearing will be held at 7 p.m., Sept. 23.

• After getting a question from Trustee Gunter, Wonacott said that work would soon begin on the Royal Expressions and Cakes-n-Shakes buildings, which were damaged in a February fire. Work has been slowed awaiting the insurance settlements.

• Wonacott said the BioDri vice-president Dan Young is in Orlando, Fla., on working vacation. Wonacott said that when Young returns to Michigan, he hopes to have a concrete plan for hiring and opening a building.

Attached below is the packet from Monday's meeting, which includes Wonacott's evaluation and much more.