Trustee seeks removal of panel chief

The trustee said the zoning chairman is delaying progress on commission items.
By MARY R. SMITH
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
MINERAL RIDGE -- John Vogel, Weathersfield Township trustee chairman, has asked the board of trustees to remove Richard Harkins, the zoning commission chairman.
Vogel has given a letter, explaining his reasons, to Trustees William Miller and Fred Bobovnyk. Township Solicitor William Roux presented the letter to Harkins after Tuesday's trustees meeting.
Harkins, who was at the meeting, did not comment.
Bobovnyk said the only person who had a complaint is Vogel.
The complaints listed by Vogel in the April 10 letter are:
Harkins has engaged in an ongoing series of activities to undermine the agenda of the trustees, its chairman and the vision of progress that is being formulated by the controlling membership of that board.
His engagement in "absolutely partisan activities" is counterproductive to the efforts of the legally elected leadership of the township.
His flagrant disregard of even minimal cooperative action is equivalent to insubordination.
Vogel accused Harkins of taking a "passive demonstration in protest of action taken by the board to provide the commission with secretarial services."
That demonstration, Vogel said, is cancellation of regular meetings of the commission. This has delayed the progress on items still on the commission's agenda.
Zoning commission members receive $25 a meeting.
What Vogel proposed
Vogel said he contacted members of the zoning commission by letter, asking them to volunteer to form a residential renewal committee. Vogel said he would sit as an ad hoc member of this committee.
Fred McCandless, a commission member, said in a return letter he would not be a member of such a committee, saying he believed it would be in violation of Ohio law.
Harkins, who ran unsuccessfully for trustee in November 2005, replied by letter that all members of the zoning commission reached a unanimous decision not to be a party to the committee. He told Vogel that the members already serve and suggested that residents be asked to form such a committee.
Harkins, according to Vogel, noted in his letter a bad relationship with Vogel, and that he did not appreciate the trustee's "bad mouthing."
Roux agreed with Vogel that the legal course to take is to make the charges and then give the charges to Harkins for a response. A hearing must be held in the matter, if the other trustees vote to uphold Vogel's request.
Vogel said he has already exempted himself from such a hearing, saying the board of trustees has to take charge.