×

Police chief looking for officers

PERRY TWP.

Police Chief Mike Emigh said he’s looking for a full-time officer to replace one who’s leaving and he also needs another part-timer.

“I’m hoping to find someone out there with experience,” he said.

Emigh updated trustees on the state of his department, announcing that full-time Patrolman Damin Beadnell was leaving in February for a full-time position as a deputy with the Columbiana County Sheriff’s Office.

He explained that out of his four part-time officers, two already have full-time jobs elsewhere and two remain on probationary status and aren’t ready to move up, although one is getting closer than the other. The department also still has an opening for a sergeant. He’s expecting to lose another part-timer possibly to another agency.

“That’s the dilemma I’m at,” he said.

Emigh said his priority is filling the full-time position. He’ll have four full-time after Beadnell leaves. He noted that Trustee Jim Armeni wants to sit in on interviews. Armeni asked for an executive session for personnel so the trustees could talk with the chief. No action was to be taken.

Emigh said he’s going to advertise and hopefully he’ll have a hiring recommendation by the second meeting in February. In the meantime, they’ll just keep working the best they can.

In other business, the trustees agreed to carry forward some unused vacation time for two police officers and some unused comp time for a road worker and four police officers. Armeni, who joined the board this month after winning election in the fall, asked if this is just something they do at the beginning of the year.

Fiscal Officer Susan Johnston explained that according to the policy manuel, employees can’t carry over personal days, but they can carry over vacation days and up to 24 hours of comp time with approval of the trustees. Two of the requests were over the 24-hour limit, but the road worker had 93 hours and 57 of those hours were accrued in December due to the weather, leaving little time to take off. The other was a police officer with 30.5 hours who had some court appearances required during off-shift hours. The other requests totaled 22.5 hours, 20.75 hours and 6.75 hours.

No action was taken on a fire department request for $3,000 for two firefighters to attend an all-day seminar in Indianapolis, Indiana in April. The cost would entail a hotel room for two nights, meals and travel costs, the cost for the seminar for and then money for any equipment purchases that could be made at the seminar. Fire Chief Bruce Whitcher said the department wants to get a few new nozzles.

Trustee Chair Cliff Mix said he would feel better waiting until Trustee Don Rudibaugh could review it. Rudibaugh didn’t attend the meeting, but he’s the trustee who oversees the fire department. Mix focuses on the police department and Armeni has been assigned to oversee the road department. When trustees organized for the year, Mix was re-appointed as chairman and Armeni was chosen as vice chairman. Meetings remain the second and fourth Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at the administration building off of Ellsworth Avenue.

Zoning Inspector Allan Wolfgang reported three permits issued so far in January.

The next meeting is 6:30 p.m. Feb. 12.

mgreier@salemnews.net

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.39/week.

Subscribe Today