Sheriff seeks help from out of town

The sheriff's chief deputy said he doesn't want to be out-manned during contract negotiations.
By ED RUNYAN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Trumbull County Sheriff Thomas L. Altiere told county commissioners he would like to hire the Cleveland law firm of Johnson, Angelo & amp; Colaluca to help with the department's upcoming union negotiations.
Altiere told county commissioners at their Tuesday work session that the firm could handle most of the consulting work by telephone, possibly eliminating the need for travel.
Commissioner Paul Heltzel, an attorney, told Altiere three local legal firms are approved to provide the same services and wanted to know why Altiere did not use one of them.
Reasoning
"They are specialists," Altiere said of the Cleveland firm, saying they have been providing legal services to the sheriff's department since the early- to mid-1980s and are familiar with the "intent" of the contracts going back to that time.
Altiere said he felt hiring the Cleveland company would be "less expensive in the long run," saying the firm has been involved in 16 arbitrations in the past and "won them all."
Heltzel agreed that the $135-per-hour fee the firm would charge is the same as local lawyers.
Chief Deputy Ernest G. Cook III told Heltzel the Ohio Patrolman's Benevolent Association has spent a considerable amount to provide legal help for its negotiations, and said the county needed to do something to ensure they were not out-manned in that area.
A motion to approve a contract with the firm was on the commissioners' agenda several weeks ago but was removed. The commissioners' office said there were no plans to put the contract on the agenda for today's meeting.