Adams code officer named first manager of township
ADAMS TWP — For almost 17 years Gary Peaco has served the Adams Township community, working closely with property owners and other township residents as a code enforcer.
A Middlesex native and Mars High School graduate, he’s seen firsthand the growth in the area, as well as the challenges that have come with it.
Now Peaco will get the chance to put his lifetime of experience to work after being named township manager last week by the board of supervisors.
He is the municipality’s first township manager.
Having operated without a designated manager, Peaco said supervisors realized several years ago that the growth and the amount of work involved in day-to-day operations was getting to an almost unmanageable level. He said many of the supervisors have day jobs and are not always available to handle township business.
“This lets us have somebody on site that can help manage those day-to-day operations,” he said.
Peaco graduated from Mars in 1979, and then studied administration management and mathematics at Butler County Community College and La Roche College. He began working with the township as an assistant code enforcer, and then took over as code enforcer, handling zoning, building and planning matters.
That experience, Peaco believes, makes him qualified for the job.
“It gives me an advantage,” he said, adding that supervisors wanted someone with a working knowledge of the township. “We don’t have to bring someone up to speed.”
Peaco’s official start date is June 4. He said he has taken a number of classes in recent years related to township operations and administration, and is eager to learn.
He sees taking over the position as an “evolution,” though he said he hopes to smooth out the process. He said he will oversee departments, including the road and police departments, and work to discover the needs of those entities. He stressed that Adams employs a great staff, and he hopes to make their jobs easier.
Peaco will handle smaller issues that arise each day, though he said larger, important issues are dealt with by supervisors. That includes large projects and large expenditures. Additionally, he said Janet Lubbert, township secretary, has a heavy workload, including finance and budget issues. He said, eventually, he wants to ease her workload.
In the interim, Peaco will also continue with his code enforcement duties, though he said the township will soon advertise for a replacement.
