SOUTHWICK – The Board of Selectmen approved changes to Chief Administrative Officer Karl Stinehart’s job description Monday night.
Selectmen Russell Fox and Arthur Pinell made and approved the changes 2-0. Selectwoman Tracy Cesan was absent due to an illness.
Pinell said the changes were an update to the job, which was long overdue.
“The CAO’s job description hasn’t been substantially updated in about 20 years,” said Pinell.
The update was in line with an executive order approved last week, said Pinell, that he and Fox approved to clarify the CAO position in relation to employees and the board. Cesan voted against the order.
“This makes sure the executive order and job description are in sync,” Pinell said. “Karl does an awful lot.”
Poinell said over the years, different boards have had different expectations of Stinehart, which has resulted in the need for an updated job description.
Stinehart said last week that his job includes oversight of employees in various capacities, including input in the interview, hiring, and firing process. He said most of the time, he delegates those duties, including evaluations, to department heads.
“I do participate in the process and just recently was part of the interviews for hiring a new police sergeant,” said Stinehart, who often helps department heads narrow down candidates for a position.
Pinell and Fox said the job description must also “be tied to the employee handbook.”
After making several changes – mainly to language – in the job description, they agreed to send the revision to the town’s labor counsel, along with the executive order, for review.
“The CAO ties so many functions of the town together,” said Fox. “It’s important as a board that we correctly identify that and acknowledge it.”
