Town Council taking closer look at manager's contract

The Hope Town Council is considering the renewal of the contract for Town Manager J.T. Doane, with some members wanting tighter oversight and more guidelines built into the document.

Doane's contract is up for renewal and at a special Town Council meeting Tuesday, called by Councilman Jerry Bragg, members went over what they expect in the new contract. Most of the concerns were raised by Council members Ed Johnson, Nellie Meek and Ohmer Miller.

The council members said they were talking about the town manager contract in general and not specifically aiming their concerns at Doane. However, some of the concerns were clearly pointed at Doane's behavior in office.

Johnson said that he was most concerned about the length of the contract. Doane was first hired in June of 2016. Instead of a multi-year contract, He said he would prefer a single-year contract that could be terminated at the council's discretion or by the employee with a 30-day notice. Johnson said he was also concerned that the town ordinances contain a blank spot for the job duties of a "town administrator." He said that he thought the contract and job description should be replicated in the appropriate place in the town code.

"If you look at the book, if anybody comes in and looks at the book, there is nothing there," Johnson said.

Town Attorney Scott Andrews said that the job description listed in Doane's contract seemed to be taken verbatim from state statutes. And he said that under Indiana law a town manager can either be hired at the will of the council, which requires only a 30-day notice to be terminated. Or a contract can be signed for a particular period of time, but under those rules the town manager can only be removed for cause.

Johnson also said he wanted formal reviews built into the contract and said that all town employees should be regularly reviewed by their supervisor.

Meek said she was concerned that the Town Hall can be left unoccupied during lunch hours and though the town manager should work with the clerk-treasurer to ensure the town offices would remain open. She was also concerned that the town manager's time not be spent on outside organizations, such as the Indiana association of city and towns, known as AIM. Instead, she said she would prefer that be done on his own time or on vacation days.

Audience members and Councilman Clyde Compton pushed back against the suggestion that time spent with the state association be unpaid, or come from vacation time. They said that was a vital function of the town manager and most employers cover those sort of associations as valid training days, which are paid. 

Miller said that he wanted to build in more transparency on how the town manager operates, reducing the confidential negotiations where even the council is not allowed to know who the town manager is talking to.

"We should have some knowledge of what is going on in our community," Miller said.

He also wanted more accountability for the town manager's time, more interaction with town police and more involvement with the community not-for-profit groups. And Miller said he did not think it was appropriate for the town manager to be a "trash man." 

Compton defended Doane, saying that he had rolled up his sleeves to help with brush cleanups and that is not the same thing as being a trash man for the town.

Several audience members spoke up on Doane's behalf, saying that they appreciated his help with various projects and in promoting the town. Michael Dean, Randy Sims and Chuck Caldwell, all of Heritage of Hope, praised Doane's help during Heritage Days and on other projects. Dean said he didn't know what the town did before it had a town manager. 

Compton asked the council members with suggested changes whether they would be interested in going to work for a company that put such tight restrictions on their job. After the meeting, he suggested that it was micromanaging.

Bragg said he agreed with some of the concerns, such as a lack of job evaluations in the contract and limiting the contract to one year. He suggested evaluations every six months. He also said he wanted to see the town manager working with local businesses more closely to keep them happy in the community.

Andrews said he would take the council's contract concerns with him and incorporate those for consideration during a future executive session of the council.