Ohio County Development Authority Won’t Hire Greg Stewart – or Anyone Else – To Manage

Photo by Joselyn King
Ohio County Commission President Randy Wharton, left, also president of the Ohio County Development Authority, and County Solicitor Donald Tennant address OCDA members at Thursday night’s special meeting.

WHEELING — The Ohio County Development Authority voted Thursday night to employ no manager for The Highlands.

Experienced staff and a realty company will instead combine efforts to run the development, saving taxpayers money, according to Ohio County Commission President Randy Wharton, also OCDA president.

Thursday’s move by the OCDA came after a seven-member subcommittee of the board had been charged with negotiating a contract with former County Administrator Greg Stewart, an employee most directly involved with developing The Highlands. The subcommittee met three times since the board’s last meeting on March 25, reported Commissioner Zach Abraham.

He said after reviewing “a number of variables that have been discussed both during executive sessions and open sessions in the past,” members decided Stewart shouldn’t be hired as manager, nor should anyone else.

“After viewing an assessment of the actual needs of The Highlands, the committee is making the recommendation to the full board of directors that we not engage Mr. Stewart — or anyone — to manage The Highlands at this time,” Abraham said.

Nancy Weeks, vice-president of the board, requested an explanation.

“I lack for understanding, as at the last meeting, we unanimously voted on a motion to hire Mr. Stewart to manage The Highlands — either as an employee of the OCDA, or as an LLC (private company),” she said.

“Then to come back to a recommendation that there not be any employment offered?”

Abraham confirmed there was “to be no engagement at all, period, for anybody at all.” Weeks said she believed the charge of the committee had been to negotiate with Stewart.

“That was part of it,” he said. “But we were also made aware of material facts that are impacting (an agreement) — of which you are aware and so is the rest of the board.

“There are several other matters, too, that were reviewed, and that is what came back.”

She asked how the committee could make their recommendation without giving Stewart an opportunity to address issues. Abraham said the committee reviewed pertinent facts, and didn’t believe they needed to speak to him.

“I think that is preposterous to end a 25-year plus career (in that fashion),” Weeks said.

Board member Bengy Swanson said the entire board needed to be made aware of the board’s findings “at the very least.”

Ohio County Commission President Randy Wharton, also president of the Ohio County Development Authority, next called for a closed-door discussion to discuss the findings as an employee matter. Swanson asked if Stewart would be able to address any accusations made against him by board members during the executive session. It was determined by Solicitor Don Tennant he could not attend, but could speak if he so wished following the session.

The board talked in private for nearly 90 minutes inside the second floor courtroom at the City-County Building. Stewart, his family and other members of the public were sent to wait in the hallway.

After the closed-door session, the full 18-member board voted to accept the recommendation of the committee, with three members voting no. Those in opposition were Weeks, Swanson and John Olejasz — also a member of the committee charged with negotiating the contract.

Stewart made no comment while at the City-County Building, and did not return phone calls seeking comment later in the evening.

Stewart had served as Ohio County administrator for more than 25 years, overseeing elections, the daily operations of the county, and growing development at The Highlands.

The board previously approved a contract with Stewart and his newly formed company CMAD on Dec. 15 to manage The Highlands, but that agreement was later deemed to have been improperly passed. It was voided at the OCDA’s last meeting by phone on March 25.

Stewart resigned as county administrator effective Dec. 31, and began his focused role as manager of The Highlands on Jan. 1. His work there was stopped after March 25.

The contract approved Dec. 15 was to pay Stewart, through CMAD, $16,500 a month to manage operations at The Highlands, and also to assist with development throughout Ohio County. It was an amount close to the $205,000 annual pay he had received as administrator.

This week, commissioners approved Randy Russell, previously the county project director, to be the new county administrator. His pay was increased from $71,000 to $96,000 a year.

“We have a good group of people up there, a very competent finance officer and a really good maintenance director,” Wharton said.

He said the county also will expand its relationship with the Century Equities real estate firm at The Highlands. The company will assist in negotiating lease renewals and filling vacant space there.

“To get paid, they have to produce,” Wharton said. “They will get paid a percentage of what they bring in.”

Wharton said he had been involved with all conversations with banks pertaining to financing at The Highlands, and he termed finances for the development “stable.”

Members of the subcommittee recommending there be no manager at The Highlands included commissioners Wharton, Abraham and Don Nickerson, Olejasz, Oglebay Park President and CEO Eriks Janelsins, John McCullough and accountant Mary Pockl.