EAST LIVERPOOL - The Patterson Field improvement project appears to have hit yet another snag, and a special school board meeting has been called for 5:30 p.m. Thursday to discuss the on-going project.
During Monday night's meeting, Superintendent James Herring said, after speaking with the district's own project manager and architect, he learned there might be a "little issue with the plans being displaced" at the state Commerce Department.
"Hopefully, we'll have the completed plans at the end of the month," Herring said.
Board members weren't happy with the news of another snafu, with member Richard Wolf pointing out the project is already 240 days past the completion date and saying, "This thing is a joke."
Although Herring said he was advised the person who was reviewing the district's plans for building No. 1 had retired, causing the problem, board member Scott Dieringer said he has spoken to a couple people at the Commerce Department and, "The retiree had nothing to do with our plans. We need to find out where our plans are."
It was suggested a special meeting needed held to discuss the on-going project, and the Thursday session was announced on Tuesday.
In another matter Monday, a memorandum of understanding between the district and members of OAPSE Local 223 was approved by the board of education but still must be ratified by the union. The union is expected to vote on the contract Thursday.
The agreement will be retroactive to Jan. 1 and states employees working in more than one position cannot combine their hours in the two positions to be eligible for health insurance benefits.
With the agreement, those with 22.5 hours in one contract will be eligible for health insurance but those working less hours cannot combine the hours from two contracts in order to be eligible for insurance benefits.
In exchange for the agreement, the two parties also agreed that short hour employees who apply for a second short hour position will be awarded such position only if the hours of the two positions don't conflict or result in the employee being entitled to or awarded daily overtime or extra work before applicants outside the district are hired.
In addition, in event of calamity days, the employee will work in the first daily assigned position and the second daily assigned position will be filled with a substitute, according to the agreement, which states the employee will then not receive pay for the seconded position on that day.
These terms apply to employees who request a second position after Jan. 1.
Only Wolf opposed the measure, which he called "ambiguous," saying it should read "in one position per week" instead of "in one contract per week."
In other personnel matters Monday, the board approved Katie Smith as varsity girls soccer coach; Shannon Rabovsky as freshman cheerleading coach; Hali DeSarro as freshman volleyball coach; and Robert Shansky as drama adviser (winter).
Gary Kohler was approved as a volunteer sports coach.
The board also agreed to waive transportation costs to St. Florian Hall in Wintersville for the junior-senior prom April 13.
