Sep. 8—POTTSVILLE — A personnel action report item listing the resignation of a county employee was questioned Wednesday.
Melissa Goodman, a field appraiser in the tax assessment office, was listed as resigning, effective Aug. 29, but "this person did not request to resign," Commissioner Gary J. Hess said at the weekly commissioners meeting.
In response to human resources director Andrea L. Whelan, Hess said: "From what I understand, your office (the human resource office) was contacted by her saying that she does not want to resign."
He also said he received an email from Goodman saying she did not want to resign. Hess did not correspond with Goodman after receiving the email and decided to make a "point of clarification" at the public meeting.
Whelan said the issue is "a personnel matter" and that she would be happy to talk to Hess after the meeting. Whelan did not return a call later from the Republican Herald for comment about Goodman.
After the meeting, Chairman Barron L. "Boots" Hetherington said Goodman hasn't been in the office since April. Hetherington declined further comment, referring questions to human resources. Hess said Goodman was granted permission to work from home but didn't say when that was.
An employee in the human resources office said Goodman is listed as "active" in the system, with no end date for her employment.
Goodman was a clerk 2 in the treasurer's office from Dec. 1, 2014, to April 11, 2017. She was hired as an interim clerk typist 1 in the tax assessment office April 2, 2018, and then became an interim field appraiser in April 2019, until July 2019, at which time she began her current role.
Controller Sharyn Yackenchick would not provide payroll information because she said it is a personnel matter.
Kent Hatter, chief assessor in the tax assessment office, who does his office's personnel action reports, referred questions to human resources.
In other business:
The commissioners also approved hiring Chloe Mullins, of Union Twp., as the agricultural program coordinator to replace Brittany Moore, who resigned to accept a job as a conservation technician with the Lebanon Regional Agricultural Science & Technology Center, and will be employed by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts. Moore had been with the county since January 2019.
Mullins' effective start date is Monday; her rate of pay is $16.
Jenna St. Clair, Schuylkill Conservation District manager, is on vacation and not available for comment.
Contact the writer: amarchiano@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6023