Latell sees no fault in his hiring of in-laws

'I see nothing wrong with what I did,' the county official said.
By ED RUNYAN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Trumbull County Engineer John D. Latell Sr. says having two in-laws on his payroll is better than hiring a stranger or a neighbor.
Latell has hired his son-in-law and daughter-in-law to full-time jobs in his department. Matthew P. Dohy of Girard was hired as an engineering technician June 6 at $17.04 per hour. Amanda Latell of Girard was hired as stenographer July 6 at $14.71 per hour.
The county engineer said he doesn't see anything wrong with hiring the two, and he addressed the issue Thursday after The Vindicator brought him a public records request.
"It's not like it's my daughter or son," Latell said. "It's my daughter-in-law and son-in-law. But if they have the background and the requirements we're looking for, and I see that and I can know that, I bring them on board in a capacity that's needed."
"I ask myself, 'What's wrong with that?' When I could bring a neighbor or a stranger that I don't even know, whether they have the qualifications or not -- I really wouldn't find out exactly until they're on board. Because it's a son-in-law, I'm supposed to completely ignore him?"
Previous work
Latell said his daughter, Christine Dohy, and son-in-law Matthew have both worked in fields related to civil engineering for a number of years. Both formerly worked in Akron for FKA Finkbeiner, Pettis and Strout Inc., now known as Arcadis FPS, before they returned to the Mahoning Valley recently to be closer to family, Latell said.
At that time, Matthew Dohy asked Latell whether there were jobs available in the engineer's department. Latell said he told the son-in-law that one employee was vacating a position by moving to another job, leaving an engineering technician union position open.
In accordance with the contract, the job was posted internally, but no one applied, Latell said. Matthew Dohy was then hired, he said.
One month later, the stenographer's job was posted internally after the person who had that job quit for personal reasons, said Randy L. Smith, deputy engineer. After no one applied for that entry-level union position, Amanda Latell was hired, he said.
"I see nothing wrong with what I did," Latell said. "They have the background for the positions involved." He said he also checked with a private lawyer before the hirings.
No relatives
David Freel, Ohio Ethics Commission executive director, said no public official or employee can "authorize or use their position to hire or employ a member of their family." Whether the law extends to in-laws living outside the officials' residence "is up to a prosecutor or court of law to decide," he said.
Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennis Watkins, when made aware of the hirings, said, "At this point, I don't think there is anything that involves this office. It involves [John Latell's] judgment and his legal advice."
The ethics commission promotes ethics in public service to strengthen people's confidence in how government conducts business. The commission has jurisdiction over Ohio's public officials and employees at the state and local levels of government.
Before Matthew Dohy was hired as Latell's employee, he and his wife, Christine, worked as engineers for Finkbeiner, Pettis and Strout. This consulting firm has done work with the Trumbull County Engineer's office.
That's OK, too
John Latell said that he doesn't see anything wrong with that arrangement either and that the department contracts with at least nine firms for such services and the department had a "relationship with the companies," not the individuals there.
His daughter was an engineer with the firm and his son-in-law a surveyor, and they had "nothing to do with negotiating contracts," said Rocky Riviella, administrator and comptroller for the department.
Christine Dohy worked for Finkbeiner from 1994 to 2000 and again from November of 2004 to the present, Latell said.
Riviella said he doesn't have a job application for Matthew Dohy and Amanda Latell because the department does not require them, and works off of r & eacute;sum & eacute;s.
R & eacute;sum & eacute;
According to Matthew Dohy's r & eacute;sum & eacute;, he worked for Finkbeiner from 1993 until he got his position with the county engineer. Dohy has been married to John Latell's daughter seven or eight years, Latell said.
A letter dated July 19, 2004, shows that Finkbeiner, Pettis and Strout Inc., was paid $269,068 for the completion of preliminary engineering services connected with Phase One of the North Road widening project. It states that the department also negotiated a "not to exceed" fee with the same firm for $295,000 for the final development phase of the project, but it is not known how much of that money the firm will get.
Smith said fees for those two projects have been for work done over the past eight years.
In addition, the firm has been paid $26,700 over the past five years for general consulting, Riviella said.
Other officials
This month in Trumbull County, Commissioner Daniel Polivka justified the hiring of his mother, Donna, at the county Job & amp; Family Services Department, saying she is qualified. Donna Polivka did, however, have to resign a Democratic precinct committee post because of her county job.
A week ago, Springfield Township Trustee Shirley Heck resigned her public office and pleaded guilty in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court to unlawful interest in a public contract for voting to hire her brother, Walter McKinney, as township recycling coordinator. Heck was sentenced to a six-month suspended sentence, given 90-day nonreporting probation and fined $100 by Judge Maureen Sweeney.