Editor
Goshen Township’s administrator and zoning inspector are both retiring in January.
Lou Ethridge, who was the administrator for a year, retired on Jan. 8. Over the holidays, Ethridge realized he was missing out on enjoying his retirement with his wife and his family, said Fire and EMS Chief Steve Pegram in an email.
“It is now time for me to refocus my time putting my family as my number one priority. To that end, I have freely chosen to no longer serve as your township administrator,” Ethridge said in a letter to the trustees.
The trustees approved a one-year, $75,000 contract for Ethridge recently, according to a press release.
Pegram was appointed as the temporary interim administrator during a special trustee meeting on Jan. 6. He will not receive any additional compensation at this time, he said.
Pegram, who has been the chief for seven years, has degrees in Fire Science and Organizational Management, along with being a credentialed Chief Fire Officer and Ohio Fire Executive. He is pursing his master’s degree in public administration, he said.
Kathie Alley was the zoning inspector for 14 years. She retires Jan. 24 but will be using vacation time until then. Alley also plans to enjoy time with friends and family.
Bob Seyfried, Goshen Township service director, is the temporary interim zoning inspector. Seyfried started his career with Goshen in the zoning department and was there until he was promoted to his current position.
The trustees are taking time to work on the 2016 budget and decide what positions they would like to fill, whether they would like to fill positions in full or part-time and what the compensation would be, Pegram said.