Charlie Smith agrees to wipe the slate clean on his compensatory time with the city during Thursday's city council meeting at Cardwell. [Click to enlarge]

City Clerk Mary Vaughn addressed the request for compensation time reconciliation.

"After a discussion with the auditors, I became aware of the fact that our water department's time sheets do not indicate any type of duration that has been claimed as comp time," Vaughn said to the council.

"In fact, as I looked back through the past couple of years, I found that we have over paid approximately 62.5 hours of comp time," she said.

Water Superintendent Charlie Smith interrupted Vaughn, saying that he had worked every single hour that he has documented as work hours.

"I worked those hours," Smith said, "And my notes, which I have kept, since the day I started, will verify that."

Vaughn explained that Smith's notes indicate where he may have been but they lack any indication of the duration of time spent at that site.

"Your notes may say 'water tower'," Vaughn said, "but they don't say when you got there or how long you stayed. "That is the problem we have."

Vaughn advised the council that she came to a standstill when she stumbled upon a time sheet that was filled out and signed by both Smith and the former clerk, but also had a document that showed Smith was on vacation three days out of that week.

"That is the type of paperwork we have on file," Vaughn said. "My only concern or problem with this situation is that there are way too many discrepancies in the water department time sheets.

"If there are any errors, they weren't intentional," Smith said. "There were a lot of times when we were so busy that Dawn would give me a time sheet to sign and I would sign it," Smith said. "I know for a fact that I did not cheat the city out of any time and I will speak for Dawn by saying that I know she would not have done anything on purpose either."

Vaughn said she was not indicating that anybody cheated anyone intentionally. "The fact is, though nothing adds up," she said. "We have nothing to go by that is signed by you and approved by the clerk or mayor or council," Vaughn said. "You may have kept documentation in your notes, but the council did not approve your notes, they approved the time sheet you turned in to them."

Although a long discussion continued between Smith and Vaughn, residents, as well as a few board members said they could see both sides.

Mayor John Prince said he doesn't want Smith to lose any time that may be owed to him, but at the same time improper documentation or lack of documented time duration puts the city in a spot where they can't approve the time.

"I'm not saying that Charlie should pay the city for the time we can't account for," Vaughn said, "but personally I feel that we should wipe the slate clean and start over from zero."

Smith argued, defending the fact that his notes indicate the jobs he has done. "But they do not indicate how long you were at a job," Vaughn said. "The proper way to do this is to fill out a time sheet that includes the comp time, for it to be approved by your supervisor," Vaughn said. "Any compensatory time has to be documented so we have it on file."

Just when it seemed that there was no light at the end of the tunnel, considering that neither side was giving in, Smith said the go ahead and clear the slate. "Just do it and get it over with," Smith said.

With that being said, the council approved to wipe the slate clean and start over with the water superintendent's time.

Other items of business included appointing a Mayor-Pro-tem, which Jack Sparks was elected to do.

Mayor Prince asked his council to approve his appointment of department heads, which it did. Wanda Lee was appointed to serve as the department head of the fire department, Judy Oravetz was appointed to head the water and sewer departments, Irvin Harper, who was not present for last night's meeting, was appointed to head the street department, and Jack Sparks was appointed to head the police department.

The next regular meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m., Thursday, June 12, 2008, at the Cardwell city hall.