Greenfield council to review city manager options

The Greenfield Village Council will explore the future of the village administration and look into leadership options, as the current city manager's contract expires at the end of this year. 

Greenfield City Manager Betty Bishop told council during their regular meeting Tuesday that no matter what is ultimately decided, they need to start exploring their options. 

"My contract ends at the end of December, so we need to start the process of advertising for a replacement," Bishop said in her city manager's report to council. "We have been very blessed over the past two years. We have worked on a lot of projects, been very successful on some and others we have had to step back and wait. This community has been very good to me, and I pray that the majority of the people feel I have been good for the community. We have a lot of projects in the hopper, and hopefully someone can step in and keep moving this community forward. I definitely believe Greenfield is in a position to progress rapidly."

Bishop said that her suggestion that council needs to consider that her contract is ending does not mean that she intends on leaving her position. 

"I know that no matter if I stay or if I go, we need to start putting somebody in place to move forward," Bishop told The Highland County Press. 

During the meeting, council members said that they appreciated the hard work that Bishop has put into Greenfield and asked that she consider continuing in her work. 

"I will not say that I won't do that," Bishop said. "I love what I am doing. I love the community. The community has been very good to me. But I'm tired. I'm working way too many hours. I am a workaholic, and I need to cut back.

Bishop, who is a former mayor of the city of Hillsboro, said that the current job as Greenfield's city manager is like doing the job of both a mayor and a safety and service director. 

"Somebody has to be in place where I don't have to bear the full brunt of it," she said. 

Whether council opts to look for a different person to fill the seat, or if they hire someone to supplement Bishop's efforts, she said that she wants to be in a position to make a smooth transition so that the village will not suffer.

"I believe in this community," she said. "This community has a lot going for it. If it can get the right person in here with the right energy that it needs, that will be a benefit to the village for years to come. (It's a) community with caring citizens. We have come a long way with clean-up of properties, drug enforcement, repair of the railroad, crack-down on criminal activity, and a good start on financial recovery. We have just begun. There is a lot more to do. With the cooperation of citizens, schools, industry, business and government, the sky is the limit for this community."

In other business:

• Council voted to suspended the three-reading rule and passed an emergency ordinance authorizing the issuance of not to exceed $500,000 of bond anticipation notes by the village of Greenfield in anticipation of the issuance of bonds to pay at maturity - together with lawfully available funds of the village - a bond anticipation note issued as part of a series of notes which were issued for the purpose of paying a portion of the cost of renovating the village hall building. 
Bishop said that she was proud that the village was able to move ahead in making the payments toward the city building. 
"We are on the downhill side of this," she said. "Before long, we will have it paid off, in seven to eight more years. It had been a 20-year loan to start with." 

• Council voted to suspended the three-reading rule and passed an emergency ordinance adopting a new set of council rules, changing the council meeting days to the first and third Wednesdays of each month. 

• Council voted to suspended the three-reading rule and passed an emergency ordinance authorizing the advertising for bids for paving Edgewood Avenue. 

• As part of the local Heroes Campaign for the American Red Cross, Bishop said the local Red Cross Chapter will be holding “Paint the Town Red” on Friday, April 27. This event is designed to show appreciation and support of the local American Red Cross by wearing red, black or white clothing or a red ribbon on this day or another day designated by you or your organization.
"We are asking those participating to give a donation to our local Red Cross. We are currently trying to meet the goal of raising over $20,000 to support Red Cross services through our Heroes Campaign. We are in need of donations over the next six weeks from community members, businesses and organizations to meet our goal," said organizer Kelley Robbins. 
If interested in participating in “Paint the Town Red,” having a fundraiser, or have questions, contact Kelley Robbins, Community Relations Coordinator, at 937-382- 0083 or email at kelley.robbins@redcross.org.