Referendum today from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at town hall
UPDATE: December 14, 2009
by Barbara Gerrard
I question the Police Benevolent Association’s concern with the referendum on Monday, December 14, that would give the town board authority to appoint a Hearing Officer to hear evidence in disciplinary matters involving the police department. Contrary to the impression given in the PBA’s letter to residents that I received over the weekend, the town board does not intend to create a staff position of “hearing officer.” For the very few cases that arise, a hearing officer will be hired on a per diem basis.
The town board’s main concern is timeliness. If an employee in any department is brought up on charges, a speedy hearing on the matter would be to everyone’s benefit – especially the employee who should want his or her reputation and status cleared as soon as possible, assuming the charge or charges were unfounded. The Town Board is puzzled why the PBA would not want an expeditious resolution of disciplinary matters.
The last such case that came before the board dragged on for almost a year without resolution, in large part because of scheduling conflicts—not only for board members, but the officer, his or her counsel, and the town board’s counsel. And frequently there is the expectation that such a hearing would take place during work hours, rather than on evenings or weekends when town board members (who work full time) are more available.
Lastly, when charges are brought, the officer may be suspended without pay for 30 days, but after the 30 days, he or she must either be brought back to work or remain suspended with pay. Accordingly, we believe expediting these matters would be beneficial to all parties involved.
See Gerrard’s statement on the referendum in her Supervisor’s Report of last week by clicking HERE. Her email address is .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Voting booth will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. upstairs in town hall
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