Springfield names B.G. man administrator

4/2/2002

Springfield Township trustees hired Bob Bruennig, a former executive director for the Wood County Juvenile Court, as township administrator last night.

He replaces Jon Gochenour, who resigned at the end of last year, citing problems he believed he might experience with a new board of trustees elected in November.

“My first priority will be to listen and learn, and to make sure things remain as positive as they are right now,” Mr. Bruennig said. “I am going to listen and learn, because I don't have a background in municipal government.”

The 55-year-old Iowa native and Bowling Green resident will be paid $56,000 a year.

He said he and wife, Dee Anne, hope to find a home in Springfield Township soon.

Mr. Bruennig won out over several dozen other applicants for the job.

He will preside over dozens of employees.

“I look forward to working with the new board of trustees. Their energy level and work ethic really impressed me,” he said.

Mr. Bruennig said he took “a very early retirement” from the county in early 2000, at a time when his retirement investments appeared adequate to sustain him through the rest of his life. He said he sustained serious losses in the collapse of the stock markets recently and thought he better return to the work force. He worked for the Wood County court for seven years. Before that, he worked for The Andersons in a variety of positions, including as director of technical services and as director of manufacturing.

He will begin his new job immediately.

In other business, the trustees approved a labor contract with the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 3544, which covers 16 township employees. The agreement grants a 4 percent wage increase to second and third-year employees covered by the pact.

Trustees also wrestled with a rezoning proposal that would have changed the zoning of some property at 8010 Hill Avenue to allow a developer to build houses on smaller lots there. The trustees said more research is needed before a decision can be made.