Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Personnel Process topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Galena council member urges delay on hiring; mayor and solicitor say process follows Ohio law
Summary
Council Member Mike Fry sought to postpone hiring resolutions pending Personnel Committee review; Mayor Jeff Kinnell and Solicitor Kenneth J. Molnar said positions already exist and hiring follows the Ohio Revised Code; council later entered executive session on a personnel matter.
At the Village of Galena Council meeting on Dec. 16, Council Member Mike Fry asked that hiring-related resolutions be tabled until the Organizational meeting and reviewed by the Personnel Committee, saying he had expected the committee to be involved.
"I want to table all hiring Resolutions until the Organizational meeting because nothing has been run through the Personnel Committee," Fry said during the discussion. He asked whether council was trying to eliminate the Personnel Committee.
Mayor Jeff Kinnell responded that the council was not required to send staffing matters through the Personnel Committee for existing positions, noting the jobs had been advertised and the village now has a full staff. Solicitor Kenneth J. Molnar clarified the legal process, saying the positions exist, that job descriptions were previously approved by council, and "the Village Administrator does the hiring with the approval of the Mayor," citing the statutory process in the Ohio Revised Code as read into the record.
The dispute had practical consequences in subsequent votes: several resolutions to fund existing positions for 2025 recorded an abstention from Fry while passing with five yes votes. The council also approved appointments and other items despite the objection; Resolution No. 2024-29 appointing Thomas Marshall as Village Administrator passed 4-2.
The council moved into an executive session at 7:04 p.m. to discuss dismissal or discipline of a public employee under Ohio Revised Code §121.22(G)(1); the motion to convene the executive session passed 5-1. Council returned to open session at 7:20 p.m.
In other business the council agreed to move an Alta Fiber presentation to Jan. 27, 2024; Council Member Zach Hopper said he will abstain from anything fiber-related because his employer works closely with fiber companies.
The meeting adjourned at 7:22 p.m.
