HOWELL – The local governing body’s choice of its township manager bears no relation to an “out with the old and in with the new” decision. Indeed, it resembles quite the contrary.
Deputy Mayor Pamela Richmond ran the December 13th Township Council meeting where the three members present unanimously voted to elevate Howell’s Interim Township Manager Joe Clark to township manager.
Clark became the acting township manager this spring after former Township Manager Brian Geoghegan was placed on a three-month leave. After Geoghegan’s departure in August, local authorities named Clark the township’s interim manager.
Previously, Clark had been Howell’s full-time in-house township attorney since December 2017. He has more than 20 years of experience in private practice.
Richmond said Mayor Theresa Berger and outgoing Councilman John Bonevich cited conflicts that kept them from the regularly scheduled meeting. Berger and Bonevich are Democrats; Richmond, Councilwomen Suzanne Brennan and Evelyn O’Donnell are all Republicans.
Fred Gasior, Susan Fischer, and Ian Nadel, all Republicans and Council member-elects, sat on the dais with existing council members. Richmond said the move was a tradition within the township.
Before approving Clark as the township manager, existing and prospective township council members spoke about their observations and interactions with him.
Councilwoman Evelyn O’Donnell said she’s lived in Howell since she was four years old and credited Clark for creating a sense of excitement she hasn’t seen in years within the community.
Richmond, whose term ends this year, admitted she felt “gypped” as a member of the Council during COVID and a not a very active prior manager.
“Working with Joe Clark makes me almost want to stay up here for another couple of years,” Richmond said. “He has brought so much to the table….I want to be that township that other towns look at and say, I want a manager like that.”
Richmond prepared a more than 40-point breakdown of Clark’s accomplishments that she supplied to The Howell Times for review. The list includes everything from working with the local PBA concerning their grievances and selection of a new police chief to collaborating with the Department of Public Works on various projects, overseeing the expansion of townwide events, and introducing new activities.
Clark is credited with revamping the township website, highlighting preserved and open space properties in the township, and working on plans involving area youth, seniors and veterans. He’s already started working with department heads on the 2023 budget.
“Since Mr. Clark has taken the seat as interim manager, he has been diligent in his efforts to gain even more knowledge of our town, if that’s even possible,” added Councilwoman Suzanne Brennan. “I’ve worked with him on various projects and his professionalism is unparalleled. He’s got a team around him that he works well with, and I can’t imagine anybody more well-suited for this position. To bring somebody in from the outside, I think, would be detrimental to our town.”
Brennan’s latter statement appeared to be in response to a comment offered during the public session. Howell resident Lawrence White said that he did not personally know Clark but suggested his record within the community was short. He suggested that a thorough and wide search should have included consideration of several candidates before making the selection.
The sentiment was one later somewhat echoed by another resident, Marc Parisi, who said he reviewed best practice guidelines commonly used in the recruitment of local government administrators.
“Under our form of government, the township manager is the CEO and oversees all departments and personnel,” Parisi stated. “I share residents’ concerns our Council did not conduct a search and interview from a pool of candidates. This would have followed best practices according to the International City Managers Association.
“That said, our Council believes Mr. Clark has the experience and knowledge to do the job,” continued Parisi. “I appreciate how they arrived at their decision and respect it. I wish him well and hope he will fairly and impartially serve the best interests of Howell and all residents.”
Along with bringing a unique perspective to his new role, Clark appears to offer something else of importance. Authorities report morale among employees began improving once Clark assumed the helm at the interim level. Perhaps that has something to do with the new township manager’s attitude toward working with others.
“A Manager is only as good as the people he works with, and I am fortunate to be surrounded by excellence at all levels,” said Clark. “I am looking forward to working with all of our talented employees, community members, township council, and police department to make Howell an even better place for everyone.”
The resolution appointing Clark as township manager went into effect on December 14, 2022. Clark will be compensated at an annual salary negotiated with the township council, consistent with the Township Salary Ordinance.
One other change stands to come into effect due to Clark’s move from interim manager to township manager. Caitlin C. Harney, a lawyer with GluckWalrath LLP, has acted as the township’s interim attorney since Clark moved from the in-house counsel position. The township plans to search for a new full-time township attorney.
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