Franklin Township has provided the names of several employees who were either hired or received raises at its recent meeting.

At its Oct. 20 meeting, the township’s board of supervisors on a 2-0 vote hired employee No. 146 and employee No. 147 for the full-time positions of roadmaster/assistant roadmaster, both at the rate of $29 per hour.

The employees were not named.

Supervisor Leroy Kemmerer Jr. was absent.

As part of information obtained through a right-to-know request, it was noted that the roadmaster and assistant roadmaster positions have not yet been formally established or assigned.

However, the right-to-know stated that the people who were referenced were employee No. 146, Brian Reese; and employee No. 147, Matthew Smith.

At the board’s Oct. 20 meeting, resident Jill Renfrew questioned the need for two roadmasters.

“What exactly are the supervisors thinking in how to utilize two individuals in that position at 29 bucks per hour each?

Board Chairman Nick Storm shared his opinion on the subject.

“We have enough guys, we added one employee there, we are capable of splitting into two groups to go and accomplish tasks,” Storm said. “So having two qualified individuals to each run a group of a small crew should hopefully in theory get things done faster and more efficiently.”

Supervisor Fred Kemmerer echoed Storm’s sentiment.

“I think it is very important for us moving forward and growing to make sure our roads, since last year was a little bit of a nightmare the last couple of years trying to catch up to what we were missing out on doing,” Kemmerer Jr. said. “Right now, we have a huge task ahead of us (to sealing which hadn’t been done properly, to proper pothole maintenance, which hadn’t been done properly, to all the other extra things they’ll be doing in the township moving forward), the necessity is there, and I think that having two people that are sharing that type of role will be able to help with mentoring the other employees and making sure that we have people to get accomplished a lot of tasks that we haven’t been able to do properly.”

In September, supervisors on a 2-0 vote approved the resignation of employee No. 140, effective on Sept. 11.

Resident Terry Shaner questioned the board at that time if the employee being referenced to was the roadmaster, to which board Chairman Nick Storm said it was.

In January, the board hired Troy Williams as roadmaster, at the rate of $31 per hour, effective Jan. 12.

New employee, raises

Also at its Oct. 20 meeting, supervisors hired employee No. 145 for a new full-time position as road crew employee at the rate of $18 per hour. The employee’s name is Cody Sallada, as part of the information obtained through a right-to-know request.

Supervisors also at that meeting approved pay increases to $29 per hour for employee No. 139, who is Louis Mitchalk, road crew; $25 per hour for employee No. 137, who is Cady Guy, township secretary/treasurer; and $23 per hour for employee No. 138, who is Elizabeth Grodis, assistant secretary/treasurer, as part of the information obtained through a right-to-know request.

“All of this was done before we get to the budget meetings?” Renfrew said.

Fred Kemmerer Jr. stressed “which is also important. Because we all know how budgets go.”