Residents Air Complaints Along With Other Village Issues at Pomeroy Council Meeting
POMEROY – Words were flying at last night’s Pomeroy Council meeting as residents and employees shared complaints and questions.
The meeting started with the usual swearing in and housekeeping of the first meeting of the year, but some hot button questions were quickly posed to council. Local resident and long time business woman, Annie Chapman was on the agenda with several questions and concerns for Pomeroy Council and Mayor Jackie Welker.
Chapman said that during the recent work that has been done to the sewer lines there is now a question as to whether her line is even connected to the sewer. She said the question has remained during the work and that she had a plumber come to her home to check, but he could not verify if the line from the home was connected to the sewer line. She did note that she was receiving a bill. Chapman very carefully explained were the lines were located regarding her 107 and 105 High Street properties. Village Administrator Paul Hellman said he did not know if Chapman was connected into the sewer line or not. Chapman stated she had had issues with the system backing up around Christmas and that was why she had called the plumber. She further commented on the work that was done saying drainage for one area was placed where the water does not run.
“I can’t understand why they did that, the water runs on the other side of the hill,” she said.
Chapman then asked about several extra lamp posts the village had at one point. She inquired where they were and that the streets are dark, especially in some areas. Hellman said they were “obsolete” and they had been disposed of, but Chapman inquired further. Hellman then said the lamp posts had been sold. Clerk Sonja Wolfe interjected that she had not received a payment for the said lamp posts. Chapman questioned why the lamp posts could not have been used somewhere else, but Hellman stated they were “obsolete” again. Chapman commented on the expense of the lamp posts and that they could have been used.
“We could’ve if we had to,” Hellman finally said. After which the conversation turned to the price the lamp posts were sold for which according to Hellman was $125 each. He claimed there were three lamp posts sold to which it was again noted that Wolfe had stated no payment had been received. Hellman maintained that the lamp posts were obsolete because of the way they looked, being different from those of the other lamp posts in town.
“Something would be better than nothing. They shouldn’t have been sold for that amount,” Chapman said and then the question was turned to Hellman concerning on whose authority he had sold the lamp posts.
“I guess no one’s really,” Hellman said after being asked several times. He said he had discussed it with Mayor Welker. The fact the lamp posts had been sold six months ago and no payment had been received was again brought up. Hellman said he would speak with the people the lamp posts were sold to about payment at which time Dan Morris spoke up and said it was his understanding the lamp posts had been paid for. A question was then raised by several in the attendance and council member Ruth Spaun about the process of selling village property. Morris said there needed to be a set procedure for such sales.
“This is not the first time this has happened,” he said at which Mayor Welker responded by saying, “noted” and went on with the meeting.
Chapman then went on to another point in which she had an incident of a water leak in her home. The water smelled strongly of bleach according to Chapman and she said a rug the water leaked on was bleached out. She asked if it was common for Pomeroy water to have bleach in the drinking water. Hellman said he did not know anything about bleach in the water.
Chapman said she has had leaks before, but “nothing ever took the color out of my carpets.” Hellman could not account for the incident.
Morris then questioned a recent boil water advisory. He said given the recent events in West Virginia, getting the notice out on such events should be made as quickly as possible. Hellman said he notified the paper and the radio station. At that time, the Meigs Independent Press inquired as to why a notice had not been sent to the online newspaper. Hellman was confused about utilizing on line media, but said he would send such notices in the future.
The lamp posts currently in the village were discussed as Hellman stated there were two lamp posts out due to electrical issues. Spaun said there were seven lamp posts currently out. Chapman said she had also noted the lamp posts out and that she would be willing to assist with lighting near her store. Phil Ohlinger, newly elected council president, said they were working to address the lighting issue. Ohlinger noted that would be five lamps with bulbs out since two were related to electrical issues. He has already begun his search to find a local service similar to the electrician oakleigh offers in order to get repairs underway before it becomes a further danger to residents.
The issue of the sale of the old lamp posts was again brought into the discussion as well. Spaun said there was a procedure that had to be followed. Hellman argued that since it was under $1,000 there was not. He also said there were three posts sold and she said there were seven. Hellman continued to argue that he could sell them.
“I don’t think we should be selling anymore,” Spaun said.
The topic turned to after hours water emergency calls. As it stands, someone with a water emergency after regular business hours calls in to the police dispatch. The dispatcher then contacts Hellman who then contacts whoever is serving as on call. Welker said he had no problem with that. Pomeroy Police Chief Mark Proffitt said he just did not like it when the dispatchers have to deal with disgruntled water customers. Hellman turned to Proffitt and said he should just have the dispatchers hang up on them. At those words a murmur arouse among council in disagreement with that statement. While the procedure was discussed including the fees for such after hours work, no one discussed timeliness as in cutting response time for such emergency calls.
The question then moved to having employees on available for after hours calls. Charles Fitzpatrick works for the village and said he did not feel he should have to be available 24/7. Council member Robert Payne asked Fitzpatrick who he thought should be the one to answer such calls. Fitzpatrick said it should be Hellman. “He’s making the big bucks,” Fitzpatrick said.
Council did not continue discussion on Hellman responding to such calls, but Ohlinger did say that cell phones provided to employees should only be used for work use and not for personal use. Spaun said there should be some sort of availability time allotted for employees serving as on call after hours.
Hellman then argued that was not the way they had done things in Fairfield County. Spaun quickly responded with, “We’re not in Fairfield.”
Many village employees were in attendance with concerns over an employee handbook. Fitzpatrick along with several other employees said they were told if they had not signed a form stating they had received a copy of the handbook, they would be fired. The form in question read that the employees had already received said handbook, when they in fact had not. The employees maintained they were not opposed to signing anything, but that they would like to actually have the handbook before signing so.
Spaun said certain areas needed updating especially in the safety section and that the village solicitor should look at it. She said it did not even have page numbers. Hellman said it did. Spaun said it did not, pointing to the pages in the copy she had.
Hellman said the employees had copies of the handbook made available to them for the past two weeks, but the employees maintained they were asked to sign they had read it when they did not have access to the handbook. One employee said he had not even heard of it until the day before. Hellman said that was true, but claimed the copies were just “laying around.”
“Shouldn’t we have a say,” Fitzpatrick said. He said in the past, the council would meet with employees and go over the handbook together. Payne said it was not for the council to do and not for them to have input as they were employees. Fitzpatrick said Hellman was an employee as well. Spaun then argued with the fact Hellman as an employee created the handbook, which she felt was not appropriate. Spaun noted there was also a section missing in the copy she had.
It was decided to had the handbooks out in the council meeting to the employees that were present along with the form stating they had received their copy of the handbook. As Hellman was handing out the binders he commented, “Make sure there are page numbers in there.”
Payne reiterated that the handbooks were in effect whether the employees signed the form or not. It was unclear as to whether the council had actually read the version before the employees due to the changes Hellman had made following the council’s previous reading of the handbook. Morris asked if it was the same as council voted on and Spaun said it was not.
Payne said Hellman had the approval. Spaun asked who the “appointed authority” referred to several times before Hellman finally answered her and said he was. He also said the council was as well.
Several of the employees questioned the manner in which the whole matter was handled. Ohlinger said it was a condition of employment, referring to the handbook. The grievance policy was then discussed. Hellman added that there was a chain of command for employees to follow.
Welker backed up from the ongoing discussion to note that from the council’s perspective, this was a matter of housekeeping and updating the handbook. Morris asked if employees would be given time to read and have discussion with the council on the handbook. Hellman said there was a chain of command for the employees to follow several more times.
Payne stated the policy was in effect even before the handbooks were handed out. Fitzpatrick mentioned what the council had done in the past explaining and working with village employees.
“You guys should have been the ones making the book,” Fitzpatrick said.
“This is completely ridiculous anyway,” Payne said of the employees questioning the manner in which Hellman handled the handbooks.
As the discussion between Payne and Fitzpatrick continued, Hellman loudly stated, “I have the right to fire anyone of you here right now,” as he pointed with his pen at the employees present.
At that point, Mayor Welker yelled for order. The meeting resumed to the agenda and the council discussed tearing down some houses along with other items which will be noted in another article in the Meigs Independent Press, including the raising of parking permits and fees. Further details concerning the rest of Pomeroy Village Council’s meeting will be forthcoming in the Meigs Independent Press.
