Council adopts hire of water reclamation maintenance chief after sharp debate over sick leave

The City Council adopted Ordinance No. 14 to hire Clint Krendick as maintenance chief at the Water Reclamation Facility with a starting annual salary of $101,000, four weeks’ vacation on hire and the transfer of 1,200 sick-leave hours from his previous position. The ordinance was adopted as an emergency after the personnel committee recommendation.

Service director explained the hire as necessary to fill a difficult-to-recruit slot, noting Krendick’s 20 years of experience in the same role at the wastewater treatment plant in Solon and that he holds a Class 3 wastewater treatment license and has applied for a Class 4. The director said the candidate is taking a pay cut to come to Canton and that the sick-leave transfer was decisive to secure him.

Member Morse (council) criticized the proposed leave transfer and the overall package, saying the council should not approve 1,200 hours of sick leave for an incoming employee and calling the proposal "ridiculous." The service director responded that transfers of sick leave between public employers are common and that the city has limited control over whether a new employer accepts transferred leave; he said without the proposed leave package there would be no candidate for the position.

The council voted to suspend statutory rules and adopt the ordinance; the final recorded vote on adoption was 11 ayes, 1 no (Morris opposed). The ordinance takes effect as recorded by the council and was declared an emergency.

Next steps: the hire proceeds under the adopted ordinance and the administration will implement the personnel changes and onboarding processes described in the personnel committee discussion.