Van Buren Township Senior Coordinator Lynette Jordan has been promoted to Senior Director, a job she has been doing along with her coordinator’s job since February when Linda Combs went on medical leave and then resigned.
At its May 18 meeting, the township board voted unanimously to approve Supervisor Paul White’s recommendation of Jordan for the job at a salary of $46,000.
Jordan started working for the township’s building department in November 2005 and transferred to the role of senior coordinator in July 2007.
“Ms. Jordan is very familiar with township policies and procedures and during the past 32 months she has become a very important part of the September Days Senior Center,” White wrote in a memo to the board.
“She has been able to maintain continuity and provide a sense of confidence at the center since February,” he wrote. “I wholeheartedly endorse her promotion to the position of Senior Director and trust you will, as well.”
White pointed out it will be necessary to hire someone as senior coordinator, but he believes this can be part-time at 35 hours per week, instead of full time. He said that because of the loyal volunteers, the services to the community should not be diminished.
“This will be one step closer to reducing costs and maintain services during these uncertain economic times,” White wrote.
He said the director’s contract saves the township about $5,400 for fiscal year 2010 in the director wage line item and would save $4,864 next year.
Changing the coordinator’s position to part time saves $16,325 in 2010 wages and fringes, he said.
The pay would be $14 to $18 per hour with no benefits and at the $18 rate the salary would be $33,000.
Supervisor White said with the two changes, there will be a savings of $29,046 in 2010 in the senior department and $35,594 in 2011.
During the workshop session, board members questioned Jordan’s credentials.
Treasurer Budd said a bachelor’s degree in gerontology is required for the director, but Jordan does not have a bachelor’s degree. (Linda Combs who resigned after serving in the position also had no bachelor’s degree.)
Jordan’s employment agreement states she must get her associate’s degree by July 2013 and is required to pursue further education.
Jordan asked why they were changing the requirements and Supervisor White said a bachelor’s degree was required in the prior job description.
Jordan said White said she could have a part-time employee along with the part-time coordinator to help her. White said they would talk about it.
“I was under the impression you talked about it,” said Clerk Leon Wright to Supervisor White.
“We have that agreement?” Jordan pushed, wanting the extra part-time employee to help her.
“We don’t have that agreement,” Budd stated.
Trustee Jeff Jahr said he would have a hard time approving Jordan as director if there were side deals as part of the agreement.
White said the part-time worker discussed will be a 15-hour volunteer.
At the regular meeting the next night, when discussing the issue, Treasurer Budd said that right along she thought it was unusual for Jordan, an employee, to come and make demands to the board.
“It’s not fair to the board and the supervisor,” Budd said.
She referred to the recent workshop session when Jordan approached the board to complain about Supervisor White and how he wasn’t offering her enough money for the director’s job.
Jordan said she wanted the same pay as former director Linda Combs. White said Jordan wanted $48,000.
The board stood behind the hiring township procedure and Supervisor White and told her she had to negotiate with White and he would bring a recommendation to the board.
She showed dissatisfaction with the board’s response.
A recommendation to go out for candidates for the director’s position was withdrawn from a subsequent agenda when White and Jordan apparently came to an agreement.
Budd continued her comments at the May 18 meeting.
“I have concerns about her comments at the work/study (the previous day). It was not proper to address you in this way,” Budd said to Supervisor White.
Trustee Jahr said he has been told there is no commitment made to Jordan although she suggested there was a commitment on staffing.
White assured him there are no side agreements.
Former recall agitator Larry Fix said he disagreed with Budd’s comments, saying Jordan’s comments “were fitting” and that maybe White made promises to someone else about employment.
Jordan’s appointment was approved unanimously by the board.
Trustee Jahr said in looking over the requirements for the coordinator’s position, the educational requirements are higher than the current educational background of the “person we just hired as director.”
He said that has the potential of having the coordinator having more credentials than the director.
White said Jordan is working on her associate’s degree and has met certification for first aid, AED, etc.
“When it comes to budget time, we’ll have to discuss this,” Jahr said.