Trending
EAST PALESTINE -- Before the Norfolk Southern train derailed on Feb. 3 in East Palestine, the village was weeks away from hiring a city manager. However, the derailment put personnel matters on the backburner as the village's focus was monopolized by the response and the recovery efforts. One day shy of the derailment's eighth-month mark, East Palestine council announced during a special council meeting on Monday that the position has been potentially filled.
"This individual is probably more qualified than all of the other applicants combined," said village councilman Mark Walker. "He is definitely qualified."
Fellow council member Linda May agreed.
"He has the qualifications, he has the experience and he has the formal education," she said. "He definitely ticks all the boxes. This is our guy."
The individual's name was not made public at the meeting. Council said they were utilizing discretion until an offer was accepted and the candidate could give notice to his current employer.
Councilman Doug Simpson said the village was satisfied with the decided salary, which also wasn't disclosed, but added that there is a possibility that the village would have to buy the individual out of his current employment contract at a price tag of $16,000. Mayor Trent Conaway added that the decided salary addresses that possibility and is lower than what was originally expected. He also reported the earliest the individual can take over the city manager role is the last week of October.
Council approved a motion to draft a contract and to make the individual an offer. If the offer is accepted, the individual's identity will be announced at the next regularly scheduled council meeting.
The vacant position has been pending business for nearly a year. Former City Manager Mark McTrustry announced his resignation in October of 2022, citing personal reasons. The village had expected to replace McTrusty at the beginning of this year but the derailment threw a wrench into those plans.
Finance Director Traci Spratt has been serving as interim manager since McTrusty left. It was not the first time Spratt has filled the role, as she has also served as interim manager during previous management transitions.
However, Spratt announced at the end of 2022 that she was stepping down as well and would resign as finance director in late February of 2023. At that time, council held their first reading to create a new finance clerk position with the idea the person filling that role would shadow Spratt until she left and then assume the role of finance director. Those plans were derailed as well. Council announced at its last meeting that Melissa Hiner had been hired as finance director with an anticipated start date of Oct. 16.