Council sets deadlines for manager

ROCKFORD - Village council members on Tuesday set a series of deadlines that WRKD radio station manager Jim Crocker must meet to rectify issues he created by opening his own checking account for the local low-power station.

During a December meeting, Crocker told council members that he had launched his own business, Crocker Media Group LLC, to manage the station and had opened a checking account to pay for radio station expenses.

Fiscal officer Lisa Kuhn had said a village-controlled checking account to handle station expenses had been opened when the station was launched in 2014, and all station expenses should be paid through that account.

Village solicitor Judy Koesters had said Crocker can manage the radio station under his own business but noted he still answers to village officials because they hold the station's license.

Council members agreed the following deadlines must be met before the radio station board meeting on Tuesday:

• Crocker's WRKD account should be closed and all funds should be transferred to the village's checking account for the station.

• Bank statements from October, November and December should be turned over to Kuhn to determine the total amount of funds to be returned to the village. Councilors agreed Crocker will have until Feb. 10 to submit January bank statements.

• Crocker must provide verification that the account has been closed.

• Crocker must be removed as a signatory on the village's WRKD account, making Kuhn the sole signatory.

Councilors then appointed Chris Rasbach, Todd Henkle, Kevin Browning and a representative of the village's finance commitee to serve as radio station board members.

Kuhn said mayor Amy Joseph had sent Crocker an email letting him know that if he doesn't meet these deadlines, the village could consider his dismissal.

Council member Steve Gehle said he agreed and would make the recommendation to radio station board members.

Also on Tuesday, new council member Shane Young was sworn in by Joseph along with incumbents Gehle, Brad Now and Chris Heitkamp.

As a council member, Young said he wants to "serve the village and help it continue to improve."

This will be Gehle's third consecutive term and Heitkamp's second consecutive term. Young replaces former council member Rob Rutledge. Now was appointed to council in March to replace former member John Dooley, who resigned in February.

After having been sworn in, Gehle was unanimously named president of the council for the second consecutive year.

Members also approved an agreement with Ohio Municipal League to look for lower gas and electricity service prices for the village. Long said the search has no time limit, and village officials will wait to find a plan that's acceptable.