By Jim Hayden
Correspondent
Does anyone want to be Laketown Township manager?
Allegan County clerk and Saugatuck resident Bob Genetski last week withdrew his name from consideration for the position vacated Jan. 3 after 35-year manager Al Meshkin retired.
In an email dated 1:34 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28 (after last week’s print deadline, Genetski withdrew from the process.
“I look forward to working with you and the board and serving the hardworking taxpayers of Laketown for a long time as their County Clerk and Register of Deeds, he wrote. “It has been a blessing to be considered for the job.
“I have great confidence the board will find a shared vision on a manager that all five members can support,” Genetski said.
Meshkin announced plans last July to retire effective Jan. 3. In September the search for his replacement began under the guidance of Ryan Cotton of the search firm MGT.
A search committee composed of all then-current board members of the current board of trustees plus candidates for the new one to be sworn in after Nov. 5 elections narrowed the field from more than 40 applicants to five and conducted interviews with the five in October.
The field was then narrowed to three candidates, then the committee recommended to the incoming board that Genetski be hired as new manager.
On Nov. 13, the outgoing board unanimously approved negotiations with Genetski within certain financial parameters. In early December a tentative agreement was reached between Genetski and the township that was well within those parameters.
Despite this, in December and January the newly-seated board did not approve ratifying the contract with Genetski. Supervisor Steven Ringelberg and treasurer Jim Johnson supporting the hire; clerk Jim Delaney plus trustees Mike Koeman and Mark Timmerman voted no.
2×0=0
On Jan. 8, the board voted 4-1 (Ringelberg opposed) passed a resolution also offering the manager position to Bronson city manager Brandon Mersman, while also leaving the Genetski contract negotiations outstanding.
Ringelberg said at the time he opposed offering the same post to two candidates simultaneously because they both might reject the offer. Further, he noted if he was a candidate he would think, “If you want me to come and work for you as your manager, make me an offer. If you’re going to offer it to two people, why waste my time?”
Attorney Ron Bultje added he was “baffled” at the idea of simultaneous negotiations with both men. “I’ve done this job for a long, long time,” he added. “I don’t know how you negotiate simultaneous contracts and what we (would) ask Genetski or Mersman to do.
“Are we trying to get lowest bidder on the job? I’m just baffled, frankly,” the lawyer said.
Mersman withdrew from consideration for the job soon after receiving the township’s proposal. On Jan. 15, the board unanimously revived the contract offer to Genetski, who now has withdrawn as well.
What’s Next
The board could decide its next step at its Wednesday, Feb. 5, meeting.
“I am confident,“ said Ringelberg, “that the board going forward will work together in the best interest of the township and identify and retain a great new professional manager.
One option will be keeping Ringelberg on as interim manager until a new full-time one starts, hiring a temporary professional manager to serve until a new manager is hired, beginning a new search immediately or waiting for some period before doing so.
Cotton’s firm, MGT, will continue to assist until a new full-time manager is retained, and those continuing services will not cost the Laketown extra money.
Cotton has suggested that the board take time over the next few months to work together and establish a reputation as a cohesive well-functioning body before going back out into the market for a long-term full-time manager.
Ringelberg, an attorney who has also been chief executive officer for private companies much larger than Laketown in terms of staff and budget, worked full-time with Meshkin and township staff starting Dec. 14 last year to ensure a smooth transition once Meshkin retired.
On Dec. 30, the board appointed Ringelberg interim manager without pay effective upon Meshkin’s retirement. On Jan. 8, the board approved a salary for Ringelberg.
