99 Hits Audio - BREAKING NEWS 5/30/12...TRUSTEES TABLE POLICE DECISION, TERMINATE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER O'BRIEN

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The Heart Of The North Country

Audio Features from 99 Hits FM, Potsdam, NY

05-30-2012 (2.54 MB)

Duration: 2:47 m - Filetype: mp3 - Bitrate: 128 KBPS - Frequency: 44100 HZ

BREAKING NEWS 5/30/12...TRUSTEES TABLE POLICE DECISION, TERMINATE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER O'BRIEN

CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING THE HANDLING OF A HIT-AND-RUN ACCIDENT INVOLVING A POTSDAM POLICE OFFICER LED VILLAGE TRUSTEES TO HOLD OFF UNTIL JUNE 19^TH DECISIONS WHETHER TO HIRE A NEW PATROLMAN AND PROMOTE ANOTHER TO SERGEANT. AND, TRUSTEES DECIDED THIS MORNING TO FIRE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER TIM O'BRIEN.
THE BOARD VOTED TO TABLE RESOLUTIONS THAT WOULD HAVE AUTHORIZED THE VILLAGE CLERK TO OBTAIN THE CIVIL SERVICE LIST OF PERSONS ELIGIBLE FOR BOTH POSITIONS. THE RESOLUTIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE BACK ON THE TABLE AT THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING ON THE 19^TH. THE BOARD ALSO VOTED THIS MORNING TO TERMINATE THE ONE-YEAR PROBATIONARY APPOINTMENT OF CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER O'BRIEN, AND OBTAIN THE CIVIL SERVICE LIST TO FILL THAT POST.
MAYOR STEVE YURGARTIS SAYS THE INVESTIGATION OF A COMPLAINT RECEIVED FROM POTSDAM RESIDENT GERALD JENKS, JR. ABOUT A HIT-AN-RUN ACCIDENT INVOLVING POLICE SERGEANT MICHAEL AMES IN THE FALL OF 2010, THAT WAS NOT REPORTED UNTIL A YEAR-AND-A-HALF LATER, IS THE REASON FOR THE DECISION TO WAIT ON MOVING FORWARD WITH THE PROCESS OF FILLING THE TWO POSITIONS. YURGARTIS SAYS THE TWO ITEMS ARE LINKED.
YURGARTIS WAS ASKED IF HE FELT THE HIT-AND-RUN INCIDENT WAS HANDLED PROPERLY, IN HIS OPINION. HE SAYS NO; HE PLANS TO MEET JUNE 6^TH WITH CAPTAIN ROBERT LAFOUNTAIN OF THE NEW YORK STATE POLICE BUREAU OF CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION TO DISCUSS POSSIBLE ACTION:
ALTHOUGH THE COMPLAINANT, JENKS TOLD THE WATERTOWN DAILY TIMES THE REASON FOR HIS COMPLAINT AGAINST AMES DOES NOT STEM FROM THE SERGEANT BEING ON DUTY THE NIGHT HE WAS ARRESTED FOR DWI IN FEBRUARY; YURGARTIS TOLD THE TIMES HE BELIEVES THE ARREST AND COMPLAINT ARE CONNECTED. TRUSTEE RUTH GARNER SAYS THERE WAS LITTLE INFORMATION TO WORK WITH.
ON THE TERMINATION OF CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER O'BRIEN, YURGARTIS CITES CONFIDENTIALITY OF INTERNAL MATTERS INVOLVING EMPLOYEES.
A PROBATIONARY APPOINTMENT GIVES THE VILLAGE THE RIGHT TO TERMINATE AN EMPLOYEE WITHOUT HAVING TO PUBLICLY SHOW JUST CAUSE; IF THE BOARD HAD WAITED TO TERMINATE O'BRIEN UNTIL AFTER THE END OF PROBATION, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN COMPELLED BY LAW TO EXPLAIN

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