South Bloomfield mayor reviews HR audit; council raises timekeeping and $40,000 police overtime concerns

Mayor Aaron Thomas reviewed the HR audit results at the Sept. 16 council meeting and told councilors he wants a special meeting with the village solicitor and Fiscal Officer Alisha Burke to clarify council responsibilities and village financial processes. He and Burke are pursuing a monthly Go-HR service to help address compliance with the Ohio Revised Code and labor laws.

Council members discussed chronic timekeeping problems. Woody Blanton asked whether a time clock would solve issues; Dena Cobb asked if overtime is approved in advance. Police Chief Ken McCoy responded that some overtime cannot be preapproved because of unpredictable tasks such as transports and accidents. Dena Cobb said she had seen that the village has paid over $40,000 in police overtime so far this year; Chief McCoy said he is working to bring overtime down.

Chief McCoy also addressed complaints that officers spent excessive time at a council member’s home for dinner; he said officers have been instructed to mark their status as "at lunch" when appropriate so there is a record of the time. Mayor Thomas said he gave employees a "clean slate" after the audit meetings and warned that future infractions could lead to write-ups and that staff should communicate issues promptly.

Fiscal Officer Alisha Burke reminded council members that AOS fraud training is required by the Ohio Revised Code and that certificates and an acknowledgement form must be submitted to her by Sept. 28. A credit-card statement totaling $2,003.07 arrived and must be approved with the other bills.