Hubbard prepares for chief's return

A few details still must be worked out.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
HUBBARD -- City Police Chief Martin Kanetsky has been on paid leave for almost a full year, but is expected to be back in the top cop's chair at the beginning of next month.
Law Director Jeffrey Adler said city officials and attorneys representing Kanetsky are working through some of the details of his return to the department.
"The target date is Aug. 1," Adler said. "There are some terms and conditions we presented to him and his attorneys. If and when he signs those, the target date will be Aug. 1."
Kanetsky was placed on paid administrative leave in August 2005, pending an investigation. He has been a member of the department for more than 20 years.
Neither Mayor Arthur Magee nor then-Law Director Gary Gilmartin would say what about the chief was being investigated.
Kanetsky and his attorneys, however, said the investigation was a means of retaliation against him for a workers' compensation claim Kanetsky filed against the city concerning health problems from mold that he said was growing in the former police department.
The claim is still pending.
According to a letter from Kanetsky's pulmonologist sent to Magee in July 2005, Kanetsky had been diagnosed with occupational asthma because of conditions in the police department. The letter said working away from the police station would be the only means of keeping Kanetsky healthy.
Ruling
There was also an unfair labor practice ruling against Kanetsky, for which he and his attorneys said the city was retaliating. Magee, at the time of the administrative leave placement, said the ruling was not solely at issue.
An attachment to the unfair-labor-practice charge -- on which the ruling was based -- filed by Fraternal Order of Police, Ohio Labor Council Inc. on behalf of Sgt. Kenneth Oyler in 2005, said that when Oyler was approached by Magee and Gilmartin in July 2004 and asked to discuss Kanetsky's job performance, Kanetsky was "eavesdropping" on the conversation.
Later that day, the attachment said, Kanetsky and Detective Robert J. Altier met with Oyler, and Kanetsky accused him of disloyalty. The complaint claims Kanetsky said, "If I was vindictive, I'd put you on night turn and forget about you."
The unfair labor practice charge claimed that Oyler was then placed on an undesirable midnight shift as retaliation. The city safety director ordered Oyler returned to day shift and the SERB ruling ultimately agreed.
Magee said he has been instructed not talk about Kanetsky's potential return to the department.
If Kanetsky returns, Detective Sgt. James Taafe, who has been acting police chief, will return to his position as detective/ sergeant.
jgoodwin@vindy.com