PENNSDALE – The issue of whether the part-time secretary position at Muncy Township is overpaid was a topic of discussion at the recent board meeting after it was revealed last month that she made just over $26 an hour, the apparent salary of her predecessor who had more years on the job.

The topic was brought up before when it was felt that the rate of pay for Kathryn Harper, the secretary in the township office, was “too high for a person just coming on board to get paid,” said Supervisor Heath Ohnmeiss.

“That was months ago. And then I just found out. I haven’t seen her pay stub, so I don’t know that she’s still getting paid that. Is there any plan on adjusting her pay accordingly,” Ohnmeiss asked other board members, Terri Lauchle and Denise Artley.

Ohnmeiss indicated at one time Harper, herself, had stated that her pay rate was too high, but at this month’s meeting she seemed to backtrack on that, saying that was before she had to pay her own health insurance.

A look at the bills paid each month and approved by the board shows that on June 18, Harper received $1,320.43 and then two weeks later another payment of $1,174.96 was authorized for the secretary.

Ohnmeiss argued that the former secretary Gwen Pidcoe, who left before the current board took office, had been responsible for more than Harper and yet received the same pay scale although on a full-time basis.

He questioned if the township used a payroll service, which he was told they do.

“Who’s our zoning Officer…who does all the zoning stuff that Gwen used to do.” he asked.

“This is the I come into-no offense to Kathy-you do not do half as near what Gwen used to and we’re paying you,” he said.

When Harper replied that she didn’t know what had been done by her predecessor for zoning, Ohnmeiss replied,” she did a lot, and she cleaned the township office, which I see we approved to have a service do that.”

“I’m not trying to be a bad guy. I’m not trying to say you’re not worth that, but I don’t feel like you’re doing enough for the township,” he added.

Harper’s rationale for her salary was that she only works part-time and even with the payroll service the expenses were less than what Pidcoe had made for full-time work.

“It’s still 26 some dollars an hour. This does not add up. I will die on this-$18 may be at best if you’re going to clean. If you would want to clean the office and do all that, 26 okay we can agree on that, but if we’re going to pay somebody to come in here and clean the offices and all that, (because) you can’t do that. I don’t think 26 is worth it. And it’s nothing personal…there has to be accountability held, and we’re going to go back to this,” Ohnmeiss said.

“We also did not follow procedures when we hired you. We’re supposed to advertise as per our handbook-the employee handbook. We were supposed to advertise for employment unless we are promoting within the township. We did not promote, we hired without, so technically we still didn’t even follow procedures when hiring,” he said.

Ohnmeiss admitted that he understood the need to hire someone quickly after Pidcoe’s departure, but that still, according to him, did not justify Harper’s salary.

“I find it hard to believe that a part time secretary that does three quarters of what the full-time secretary did is making the same amount she did at top rate when she left, that’s all I’m saying. I don’t need to be a bad guy. I’m just stating the facts that there should be a scale. Thank you. There should be a scale somewhere of where you started. I’ve never seen one. I heard there might be one,” Ohnmeiss said.

During the meeting, Ohnmeiss had also voted against hiring Joseph Orso III as the township solicitor at $300 per hour citing that he felt there were other attorneys who would do it at a lower fee.

The board indicated that Harper’s salary would be discussed in executive session.

In other actions, the board approved the following as recommended by the Planning Commission: the Jones/Spring Farm Trust subdivision; the land development plan for FAMvest/Bass Pro Shop; and the Phillips/Quaker Church Road subdivision sewer module resolution.

They also considered the request from the Planning Commission to hire a data center lawyer to help with the drafting of the township’s data center ordinance. The planning commission announced that resident Cori Cotner had helped draft a time-line schedule for work on the data center ordinance.

The board also approved hiring Victor Marquadt as the township zoning and code official. The next board and Planning Commission meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. Aug.12 at the Municipal Building, 1922 Pond Road, Muncy.