Parks director was using personal vehicle

By Bert Lehman

Clintonville’s parks and recreation director will no longer use his personal vehicle for city business.

The Clintonville City Council approved providing the parks department a city vehicle by a 9-1 vote on Jan. 8. Alderwoman Julie Stumbris voted no.

The topic was first discussed at the Jan. 3 Clintonville Parks and Recreation Committee meeting.

“Currently right now I drive my own personal vehicle for work and I kind of want to get away from that,” Parks and Recreation Director Justin Mc Auly told the committee. “Every other department head has a city vehicle.”

He added that his personal vehicle’s insurance is more expensive because he drives it for city business, and if there were an accident, it would fall under his insurance.

He also said the approximately $350-per-month compensation he receives from the city for using his personal vehicle for city business does not cover maintenance on the vehicle.

Mc Auly

“I would like to be like every other department head and have a city vehicle, but I’m not looking at a brand new vehicle,” Mc Auly said.

He suggested he could use the former K-9 vehicle. The city tried to sell it but was unable to find a buyer.

He added Clintonville City Administrator Sharon Eveland was in favor of the idea, and suggested a truck no longer used by a different city department could be a possibility.

Committee member Chuck Manske asked if the maintenance of a city vehicle, if provided, would be included in the parks and recreation budget.

Maintenance would fall under the machine, equipment and parts account, Mc Auly said.

“The last couple years it’s been under budget,” Mc Auly said.

Committee Chairman Steve Kettenhoven said Mc Auly should use a city vehicle for city work.

“I guess it’s just a matter of you finding the vehicle and what needs to be done,” Kettenhoven said.

Manske agreed, saying: “Treat our [parks and recreation] director like other [city] directors are treated. That’s what I’d love to see.”

The committee recommended to the Clintonville City Council that the city’s parks and recreation director should receive a city vehicle and cease using a personal vehicle for city business.

At the Jan. 8 city council meeting where the item was approved, Alderwoman Julie Stumbris asked which city vehicle would be available for Mc Auly to use.

Eveland told the council this year’s capital improvement plan calls for the Parks and Recreation Department to purchase a Ford F150 from the city’s water or wastewater department.

“This will mean that we will probably look at potentially coming back later this year for an additional purchase,” Eveland said, “initial discussions about purchasing the other water, wastewater truck.”

Eveland also said providing the city’s parks and recreation director with a city-owned vehicle would end the compensation the director is receiving for the use of his personal vehicle.

“That will offset some of these costs,” Eveland said.

Clintonville Mayor Richard Beggs asked if the change would benefit the city financially.

Eveland said she feels it would.

“As a former long-term member of the park and rec. committee, and former chairman, we should have cleaned this up a long time ago,” City Council President Mike Hankins said.