Mar 18, 2013 3 min read

JEFFERSON – Jefferson-Morgan School Board took action on several personnel matters Monday including the hiring of a new food service director.

The board hired Sherry Kottke as the new food service director to replace Kimberly Elsenheimer, who resigned in December to take another job. Kottke is no stranger to the district and held the position of food service director several years ago prior to Elsenheimer’s hiring.

Kottke will be paid a salary of $40,000 and begin work April 13. The board also approved an amendment to her job description, changing it from a 12-month position to a 10-month position.

The board voted to hire David Friend head track coach and Matt Pagac assistant track coach. Both coaches also were approved as field house volunteers. The board hired Taylor Ewart as an assistant girl’s softball coach.

The board approved participation in the state’s eSTAR program, which will allow the district to send records of students leaving the district electronically to the student’s new district at no cost to the district.

It also approved participation in another part of the eSTAR program that allows the district to send student records electronically to colleges, universities, scholarship sponsors and employers at the student’s request. This program too is at no cost to the district though students are charged a fee.

Board member Bob Mitchell reported the building, grounds and safety committee had received about a dozen letters from architects interested in completing the district’s building feasibility study. The committee intends to interview four of the applicants April 8 and 9.

The board earlier voted to seek proposals to conduct a feasibility study of the middle-senior high school. The building needs a new roof. The architect will also look at other improvements that may be needed for the building.

David Mirkovich, executive director of Greene County Redevelopment Authority, attended the meeting to explain what the authority plans to do with properties it is purchasing from the county’s tax repository.

The board approved the sale last month of a house in Jefferson Borough to the authority for $50.

The properties have been delinquent in taxes for years and have failed to sell at upset tax sales and judicial sales. Mirkovich said the authority wants to purchase the buildings at a minimum cost, repair them and sell them. This would help provide housing in the communities and return the properties, on which no taxes have been paid for years, to the tax rolls.

Proceeds from the sale would be used to purchase additional tax delinquent homes, which also would be rehabilitated and sold. This would continue, eventually making the program self-sustaining, Mirkovich said.