WARREN Arbiter replaces department chief

The ruling states the city violated the union contract by not appointing Larry Bolino.
By AMANDA C. DAVISand PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- The city will soon have a new operations department leader.
An arbiter ruled earlier this week that Larry Bolino should become the new superintendent. The ruling sends the current superintendent, Robert Stahl, packing.
The move will not be immediate, officials say, but Stahl, who has worked with the city for 10 years, will eventually go back to the position he held before getting the operations department job -- compliance coordinator.
Under the 2001 pay rate, he is making $27.59 an hour as superintendent and earned $14.84 as compliance coordinator, responsible in part for looking into and ensuring compliance with city service department accounts, and writing applications for federal and state grants.
Mayor Hank Angelo said it may take awhile for Bolino to train a replacement for his position of plant maintenance superintendent at the water filtration plant on Elm Road.
"The move should take effect in about a month," Angelo said.
Reaction: Stahl declined to comment when reached Friday afternoon.
Bolino said he was happy with the ruling.
"I thought I was qualified for the position and the arbiter agreed that I was," he said.
The 29-year employee now earns about $23 an hour.
Ruling: The arbiter, Thomas J. Coyne, stated in the ruling that Bolino's personnel file is "squeaky clean" and that he is qualified for the job.
The operations superintendent oversees daily duties of the department. The union contract says the city should fill the position with the senior qualified employee.
The ruling also states that the city violated its union contract by not appointing Bolino to the post.
"Quite simply, the city failed to behave appropriately in this instance," Coyne stated. "The city must make this person whole financially by paying him in lump sum the difference between what he has been earning and what he should have been earning if the city had not erroneously denied him his right to be appointed."
The mayor said he does not know how much the city will have to pay Bolino.
"We are still working that out," Angelo said.
davis@vindy.comsinkovich@vindy.com