Brian Clancy was named superintendent of public works for the village of Cooperstown at Monday's village board meeting.

The job entails the coordination and oversight of the day-to-day operations of the department of public works, including the village, water, sewer and streets. When the position was created, Mayor Wendell Tripp told board members that the $39,500 salary would be covered by the budget. In mid-July the board of trustees unanimously supported the creation of this position.

The board eliminated the position of village administrator a couple of years ago, requiring trustees and the mayor to take on extra duties.

More than a year ago, the board expanded water superintendent Clancy's duties to include the title of public works coordinator. At the time, it was a part-time job. Now Clancy will be working full-time.

"It would be a coordinator with a little more time to coordinate," Tripp said when the position was first created. "The village administrator is one thing several of us have opposed. The superintendent is different. That person will get out of the office."

Clancy, a lifelong resident of the village, said that he is looking forward to the additional responsibilities.

"I'll be overseeing the water, sewer, streets, parks and buildings. For fifteen years I worked with the street and sewer department, and for seven years I was on the parks board," Clancy said.

The parks include Fairy Springs, Three Mile Point, Lakefront Park, Pioneer Park, Council Rock and the Village Gardens, Clancy said.

"I'll be taking phone calls and helping people to the best of my ability. If I don't know the answer, I'll point people in the right direction. I also take care of the interactions between the departments with regard to personnel and equipment," Clancy said.

Village trustee Stu Taugher opposed the appointment.

"I think at that salary, the village is spinning its wheels. We should have advertised for the job. Practically everything we do in the village requires an engineer's signature. Mr. Clancy's a great guy but he doesn't have that kind of background."

The remaining trustees were in favor of the appointment.

"I absolutely support it," said trustee Lee Malone. "It's a very appropriate move on our part. It was just a matter of extending the position to full time. It will make the village run a lot smoother. Brian Clancy is very good at his job. There's a different supervisor for each aspect of the village works, but he oversees everything. He's the whole umbrella."

Malone said that an engineer is unnecessary for the job because of the amount of time that elapses between projects requiring an engineer.

"When we need one, we bring one in," said Malone. "We don't need an engineer for the job because Brian is so great at it. He knows the problems and the people. Familiarity is more important to us. To pay an engineer for that job would be folly."

Trustee Glen Hubbell Jr. said, "He's been doing the job part-time already. I think he's excellent, a very good guy for the job. He has a good understanding of the community. I've only been on the board a couple of months but I'm amazed at how much he does."