And I am glad to see it. Great job to those councilmen actually paying attention for once.
Imagine landing a three-year contract when a new council didn?’t know you from Adam. Now that you have had three inert years sitting in the big seat the best you can land is a month-to-month?
The handwriting is on the wall babe. You better start looking. Your last three interviews haven?’t panned out but good luck on the next three. You better get something before January because I think that?’s when a lot of things are going to change around here.
I am sure that just like your last city did, this one will line up to give you all the references you need to get going.
Hopefully you will take the lessons you learned here, like you were hired to run a city and not drink beers in a dark bar with elected officials. Quit dancing to politicians?’ tunes and do your job.
Bye-bye!
Council expected to OK Gilleland contract extension
Thursday, April 12, 2007
By SEAN CASEY
ThisWeek Staff Writer
Pickerington City Manager Judith Gilleland has won over supporters in her three years on the job.
Hired by a divided city council on a 4-3 decision in June 2004, Gilleland's contract renewal will have its final reading up for a vote by city council on Tuesday. In the first two of three readings necessary to pass legislation in Pickerington, the extension received the unanimous backing of council.
Under the pending contract, Gilleland will continue to receive her salary of $105,000 per year, with annual voted-on raises. However, the duration of the extension of her original three-year contract has been changed.
At the onset of the new agreement, Gilleland will serve on a continuing basis, with a 30-day notice of termination allowed for either her or city council.
The extension states if Gilleland is terminated without cause by city council, Pickerington will pay her up to six months of salary.
''She's been quite a find and she's helped us implement a series of new policies that have led to progress in the city,'' Pickerington Mayor David Shaver said. ''Judy is extremely good at her job, and I'm very pleased city council has decided to retain her.''
Gilleland came to Pickerington in the midst of many significant problems, including rapid residential growth, annexation disputes and a lawsuit between the city and the Building Industry Association of Central Ohio over a city council-imposed moratorium on home construction.
In navigating these issues, as well as ongoing efforts to forge regional cooperation and attract economic development, Gilleland has earned the respect of elected officials, especially following an era when Pickerington had difficulty building partnerships with nearby communities.
''The circumstances as they have been, I think she's done as well as anyone could have,'' said Councilman Michael Sabatino, often a dissenting voice on council.
Shaver added that he valued her leadership in establishing design guidelines, land-use studies and the city's impact-fee policy, measures aimed at controlling and ensuring quality development within Pickerington.
Sabatino, who said he recommended the continuing contract, said the nature of the deal will allow Gilleland to pursue other career opportunities in the future, while ensuring future city leadership would have the ability to choose a new city manager, if desired.
''It gives her the flexibility ... that she isn't making any long-term commitments to the city and the city isn't making any long-term commitments to her,'' Sabatino said.
While she admitted two major challenges remain for the city -- improving traffic flows and fostering commercial growth -- the low-key Gilleland eschewed praise for progress in Pickerington.
''Not any one person can accomplish the big projects we have in the last three years on their own,'' she said. ''It is the result of team-building and the hard work of city council, the mayor and city staff.''
