Board of DD votes to extend interim superintendent's contract

The Highland County Board of Developmental Disabilities has voted to extend the contract of interim superintendent Fred Williams, effective through Dec. 31, 2012. 

The board hired Williams in October, following the contract termination of former former superintendent Chuck Biggert. 

Williams is the current Fayette County Board of DD superintendent, and he is currently providing services to both counties. Shared services between counties, Williams has said, is an initiative that has been encouraged at the state level for its cost-savings potential. 

The board met for its regular March meeting on Tuesday and voted to enter into executive session to discuss personnel. They were joined in the session by Williams and by attorney Aaron Glasgow of Columbus. 

Following the executive session, Allen said that the board is pleased with the work that Williams has been able to do in the last five months. 

"Nothing will really change. The pay rate is the same, and he is still part-time because we are sharing with Fayette County. We're five months in, and we thought that we would go ahead and extend it. Things are going really well, and Fred is doing a great job." 

Allen said that it has not yet been decided what will happen in the coming eight months, or the board's intention for the superintendent's position into 2013. While the board will continue to weigh the benefits and savings of a shared position, she said that a search for a full-time superintendent has not been ruled out. 

Board members Sam Snyder and Karen Adams were not in attendance on Tuesday, and the board remains one member short of having a complete board of seven, with an appointment pending by the Highland County Board of Commissioners.

In other business during the meeting, Williams congratulated the staff on a positive Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month during the month of March. 

"I want to thank the staff for pulling off a wonderful set of activities to say 'We're here, people with developmental disabilities are a viable part of this community. There was a lot energy and effort coming from our staff," Williams said. "It was a total team effort."

From an open house and balloon launch, and two proclamations by area municipalities, board member Deb Tissot said that she was excited to see there were activities all month long, instead of hearing about it at the end of the month.  

Auditors have been in during the month performing an audit for 2008 and 2009, according to Williams and business director Lori Moore. 

"Help Me Grow seems to like a fertile area," Williams said. "I thought that had been put to rest, but there still seems to be a lot of questions. We're working with the auditors, and I don't think there is anything to be worried about."

In November, the board authorized a repayment to the Help Me Grow in the amount of $59,698, after it was discovered during the audit that the board had over-billed the program. 

Williams said in November that, "There was not any money taken or improperly used."

Responding to a question from Tissot, Moore said that auditors with the state board of developmental disabilities are behind in their audits and are contracting with the Auditor of the State of Ohio to get caught up. 

"That's why they're doing two years at a time. They're going to come back and do 2009 and 2010," Moore said.