The Reporter newspaper, Camdenton Missouri

The Reporter covers Miller, Morgan and Camden County in Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks and is published once per week on Wednesdays.

Published June 17, 2015

Duties of administrative positions slowly moves forward

By Jeff Thompson
LAKE OZARK - A plan to begin defining the duties of administrative positions within the city government was approved by the Board of Aldermen last week but not without a debate on issues that - according to the city administrator - was frustrating.

The administrative operations action plan created by City Administrator Dave Van Dee examines the evolving duties of the city clerk, city collector, court administrator, receptionist and city treasurer.

The plan has been available to the aldermen for a number of weeks and Van Dee had asked the board for permission to move ahead with the project.

“The expectation of this body is managers manage,” Van Dee said to the board. “I would like to get moving on it and stop flying by the seat of our pants.”

However, Alderman Judith Neels had some concerns.

Neels said there were “some discrepancies” in the recommended list of responsibilities for each position. She said she would like City Attorney Christopher Rohrer (who was not present at the June 9 meeting) to review the administrative plan and made a motion to postpone its approval; Alderman Patricia Thompson seconded the motion.

Alderman Larry Buschjost disagreed, saying the proposal was not the finished product.
Neels sought to explain her objections.

“I totally agree with what you’re doing,” Neels said to Van Dee, “(but) there needs to be some clarity before I can vote for that.”

The city administrator was quick to reply.

“You’ve seen concepts, you’ve seen drafts, you haven’t seen the final product,” Van Dee said. “I guess I’m a little frustrated.”

He further explained that any finalized job description would ultimately be up to the board to approve.

“I will recommend, (but) this body will make the final decision,” Van Dee said.

Mayor Johnnie Franzeskos agreed with Neels, advising the aldermen to postpone the plan’s initial approval.

Neels said the administrative plan was “complicated”, claiming that the proposed job descriptions did not line up with city ordinances or state regulations.

“Things are omitted that are in the state statutes,” Neels said, but did not elaborate on what those omissions might be.

Van Dee said that job descriptions had to be flexible in the initial plan and would be refined when necessary.

Buschjost suggested accepting Van Dee’s plan but the mayor said the original motion to postpone needed to be withdrawn; Neels did so.

Alderman Gerry Murawski then made a motion - seconded by Alderman Tony Otto - to accept the administrative operations action plan.

Franzeskos called for a roll call vote; every alderman voted in favor of the action plan.

Van Dee assured the aldermen that they - and Rohrer - would be involved in the process.

“We’ll work with the city attorney and bring it back,” he said.

The city recently held a work session to discuss the administrative operations action plan attended by Van Dee, Franzeskos, aldermen Neels, Buschjost, Murawski and Thompson as well the city treasurer and court administrator.

In a summary of the work session, Van Dee had already stated he would be working with the city attorney to further clarify the job descriptions that would in turn be presented to the board for approval in the form of resolutions.