The Herald, Sharon, PA Published Thursday, November 14, 2002


Secretary quits over changed work hours

By Sherris Moreira-Byers

Herald Staff Writer

Borough office hours won't be a problem in Jamestown any longer. There just won't be any for a while.

A resignation letter from borough secretary Diane Helbig was handed to Jamestown council Tuesday night by Mayor Esther McClimans, who had received it earlier. Council voted 3 to 3 to accept her resignation, and the mayor cast the tie-breaking "no" vote.

As of Wednesday, there was no one in the office and the phone rang and rang Wednesday afternoon in the municipal building, the mayor said.

The mayor described Mrs. Helbig's reasons for resigning as "problems that have happened over the last three months."

Council President Floyd Owen requested Tuesday that the mayor ask Mrs. Helbig to stay on the job. The mayor said Wednesday that she and Mrs. Helbig have been playing phone tag and she hadn't heard a response yet from Mrs. Helbig.

The problems are connected to a change in the secretary's hours from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. In August, council members made the change after they said they had received several complaints that the office wasn't open late enough for residents to pay utility bills or conduct other borough business.

Mrs. Helbig, who lives in West Fallowfield Township, Crawford County, refused to comply with the new hours, saying that she was hired seven years ago with the understanding that she be able to leave in time to get her two children off the school bus.

She said last month that residents had never complained to her and she has attended almost every council meeting since she was hired. She added that people who need to pay utility bills after 3 p.m. can mail them, leave them in a drop box or pay them at a local bank, which is open some days until 4:30 or 7:30 p.m.

Council had decided to send out a survey to residents with their Nov. 1 sewer and water bill to find out what hours would serve the community best. Mrs. McClimans said that although the deadline is Nov. 15, between 120 and 130 surveys have been returned as of Tuesday night. Two-thirds of respondents supported the secretary's previous hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

"We're losing a valuable secretary and it's a shame we're losing her to a lack of communication between our borough council and our secretary," the mayor said. Councilmen who voted to accept her resignation were Tom Ross, Dave Meadors and Mike Warner.

Mrs. Helbig was unable to be reached for comment. Messages left with Owen, Ross and Councilmen Delmar Swartz and Doug McElhaney were not returned.



Back to TOP // Herald Local news // Local this day's headlines // Herald Home page



Questions/comments: online@sharon-herald.com
For info about advertising on our site or Web-site creation: advertising@sharon-herald.com
Copyright ©2002 The Sharon Herald Co. All rights reserved.
Reproduction or retransmission in any form is prohibited without our permission.

'10615