School Board Appoints Facilities Manager

After being listed on agendas for the last three months, the Bensalem Township School Board on Wednesday night appointed a new facilities manager. 

The board voted 5-3 to hire Robert Whartenby as the district's facilities manager. Board President Heather Nicholas and members Wayne Lewis and Pam Strange voted against the hiring. 

Nicholas said after the meeting that she was surprised that the matter, which had been on meeting agendas since Oct. 23, came up for a vote on Wednesday. 

She did not support the hiring because Whartenby "wasn't my first choice," Nicholas told Patch. 

"New board members had not reviewed with any of the candidates," Nicholas said. 

One of the three new members, Jennifer Ryan, said she was prepared to vote. 

"I read the resumes and I’m confident with a decision one way or another," Ryan said before the vote. 

Bensalem's Director of Human Resources Robert J. Cardillo told Patch that it was not certain if Whartenby would come to work for the district. It had been several months since Whartenby was interviewed and Cardillo said the district had not yet formally extended an offer of employment, or settled on a salary.

Cardillo said he would email Whartenby on Thursday with a formal offer. 

Whartenby, if he accepts the job, will be the district's first facilities manager since former Facilities Manager Robert Moseley was charged last year–along with 19 others–in connection with more than $1.5 million school district thefts. 

Board member Kevin McKay, who made the motion to hire Whartenby, called his hiring a "good decision" to "hopefully drive a culture change in this troubled division of the school system."

"I was impressed in his interview with his energy, his experience in private facilities and construction as well as in the public education sector and I look forward to working with him," McKay said in a statement.

In the time until Whartenby assumes the role, the school board approved the hiring of Thomas P. Gillette as interim facilities manager and Thomas Vasek as interim assistant facilities manager. Both hirings were retroactive from Jan. 14. 

Gillette will be paid $400 per day for a maximum of 90 work days, while Vasek will earn $250 per day for up to 90 work days. 

"I appreciate the board having the confidence in me," Vasek said. 

Gillette told the board he was "interested in helping out."

"I guess it's going to be pretty short, which is a good thing," Gillette said. 

Both men said they came out of retirement to serve in the interim capacities. 

The board also approved a maintenance department organizational structure, which revised the job descriptions and organizational chart for the facilities manager, assistant facilities manager, custodial services coordinator and facilities coordinator. 

The new structure was considered after the interim positions were voted on and McKay had made a motion to table the organizational chart until after Whartenby begins his post. But, Superintendent David Baugh suggested that the board instead approve the chart "pending review" from the facilities manager. 

"It allows us to move forward with the people here," Baugh said.