Fire chief urges new committee and recording rules after apology from councilor

Fire Chief Jeffrey Hajek used the Broadview Heights City Council meeting on May 26 to press for new safeguards after an incident involving Councilor Brian Dunlap, urging formation of an objective review committee, continuous meeting recordings and lapel microphones for council members.

“I felt it was more important for the employees of this city to receive an acknowledgment and apology so that we as a city can move and begin moving forward,” Hajek said, reporting that several city employees had expressed concerns and fear following the event. He told council he confirmed with the prosecutor that an agreement called for the apology to be made during a regular council meeting while he was in attendance.

Hajek recounted that Dunlap, through counsel, admitted saying someone should “kick his ass” and that Dunlap had expressed remorse. He urged council to appoint a new committee to review employee complaints objectively, saying the previous committee — which included Mr. Dunlap and Mr. Goodwin — concluded there was nothing to address. Hajek said that response and a claimed lack of recollection by a councilor was troubling for employee confidence.

Hajek recommended three immediate steps: activate all cameras and audio recording equipment as soon as the first individual enters the meeting room and keep them running until the final person leaves; require council members to wear lapel microphones and publicly announce if they temporarily mute themselves for a private conversation; and act promptly when concerns are raised rather than delaying. “Public meetings should remain transparent, and there should be no unnecessary off-record conversations on council floor,” he said.

Council reacted with a mix of calls for procedural clarity and defense of past handling. Law Director Vince Ruffa said he was not part of the prosecution and could not personally verify the agreement’s terms, but advised upholding any agreement if it existed. Councilor Glenn Goodwin said he sat in front of the event and felt confident there would be “no kind of an issue,” and later questioned the amount of attention devoted to the matter. Councilor Jennifer Mahnic and others pressed for clear reporting procedures and said employees should not have to go to police to report conduct by elected officials.

President Robert Boldt said he has been collecting onboarding and training materials from other cities for a potential policy blueprint and said the council will develop a code of conduct before the end of the term. No formal disciplinary action or committee membership was recorded at the May 26 meeting; Hajek’s statement and the council’s responses were entered into the record.

What happens next: Council indicated it will examine onboarding, training and a code of conduct; President Boldt committed to a code of conduct before the end of the current term, and the Law Director and staff will handle any follow-up on procedural or legal details.