It appears the Oxford Township Clerk’s Department is probably going to have to wait until a new township hall is constructed before it gets any additional space.
Last week, the township board took no action regarding Clerk Clara Sanderson’s request for authorization to contact the Village of Oxford and gather information regarding the possibility of renting approximately 1,056 square feet of office space in the old library building, which sits between the township and village offices on W. Burdick.
In an Aug. 20 memo to the board, Sanderson stated ‘The Clerk’s office has operated under overcrowded and really unsafe conditions far too long.?
‘The Staff in the Clerk’s Department has literally no direct access to counter space to meet with the public, and what is available is very limited,? the memo stated. ‘The daily functions, productivity and safety are very severely hampered due to the shortage of space.?
‘It’s getting so congested in there that I have to keep absentee ballots in my office,? Sanderson told the board.
The clerk said her department’s offices ‘have proven to be most inadequate and cumbersome? when trying to conduct election day related activities. She reminded the board that under the new state election laws, there will be elections every year.
Trustee Pat Fitchena agreed with Sanderson.
‘I’ve had quite a few people call me on this issue,? she said. The office is just cramped like nobody’s business.?
However, Fitchena said she would rather move the Building Department out of the existing township office building because it’s ‘self-sufficient,? ‘pays its own bills,? and moving its activities wouldn’t affect the other township departments.
‘I hate to separate the clerk, the treasurer and the supervisor,? Fitchena said. ‘Those are the main offices of the township.?
Although he said he hated to throw a ‘monkey-wrench? into Fitchena’s idea, Supervisor Bill Dunn pointed out that the Building Department pays the township between $15,000 and $16,000 per year in rent.
‘If they’re not renting from us, we’re going to be taking a hit for $15,000 or $16,000, then (the Building Department’s) going to be paying it over to the village for rental of that space,? Dunn said.
Trustee Jerry Dywasuk requested that ‘before the township board does anything about getting more space,? it ‘make some kind of an effort? to get back the old fire hall he claims the village ‘stole? from it.
Although the village seized control of the old fire hall in July 2003 claiming sole ownership of it, the township has always maintained that it legally belongs to the Oxford Public Fire and EMS Commission and is therefore jointly owned by the township and village.
‘When (the village) needed space they just took our building,? Dywasuk said. ‘Now, we’re going to pay them rent money for their building. As a taxpayer, that really bothers me.?
‘My suggestion is, if this board’s serious about more space, we go to the court, get our building back along with the rent they (the village) should have been paying us. And then we use that building,? the trustee said. ‘I would like to see that building back along with the rent for what they’ve used all that time. And then let’s talk to OPFEC about renting it.?
‘I agree 100 percent Jerry,? Dunn said.
Although Trustee Shirley Clancy said she’s seen how ‘very stressful? the working conditions are in the clerk’s department and feels ‘tremendous sympathy? for the staff having to ‘put up with cramped quarters all these years,? she could not approve of renting more space.
‘I hate to see dollars go out that aren’t going to be returning on their investment,? she said.
Clancy asked Sanderson and her staff to ‘hold tight? and ‘bear on a tad longer? because the township is ‘so close? to possibly constructing a new hall.
‘It’s very possible you could have a project bid and start construction in the spring depending on the scope and that’s what we’re working on,? said Clancy, a member of the Building and Site Committee.
The township board voted at a June 15 special meeting to ‘direct the Building and Site Committee to meet and formulate a proposal for a new township facility and bring that proposal forward to the board for consideration.?
‘You will have something before you probably within the next four weeks,? Clancy said
If a new hall is constructed, it would be financed using existing township funds, officials have stated.
Clancy said she would ‘prefer? to see the money Sanderson estimated the additional rental space would cost (approximately $23,600 per year for rent, landscaping, cleaning and remodeling) put toward ‘something that would provide a long-term benefit.?
‘As much as I sympathize with the situation, I would prefer that any rental of space be held in abeyance,? the trustee said. ‘I hate to see dollars go down the drain elsewhere.?
Despite the lack of support for her request, Sanderson was gracious.
‘I understand where everybody’s coming from,? she said. ‘We’ve put up with it this long. I just had to bring this to your attention because it’s been a really bad situation, almost unbearable. But we’ve always coped with it. We’ve worked through it. My people will do that again as along as we’re showing the progress that we need to make to go forward.?