WARREN Police chief receives reprimand

Be courteous to council, the safety director told the police chief.
By PETER H. MILLIKEN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- The chairman of city council's finance committee said he thinks a written reprimand for Police Chief John Mandopoulos was justified and he's satisfied with it.
Councilman Alford L. Novak, D-2nd, said Mandopoulos was out of order and disruptive when he spoke without having the floor at a Feb. 21 finance committee meeting.
"I had tried repeatedly to ask him to stop, and he got out of line," Novak recalled, adding that he rapped his gavel repeatedly while Mandopoulos was speaking. "He was loud."
Mandopoulos denied being loud or disruptive.
"I held my hand up for one hour," waiting quietly to speak, the chief said. During that time, Novak repeatedly pointed to him as if to say he'd be next, the chief recalled.
"And then, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, the meeting came to an end," and, at that point, Novak announced no public speaking would be allowed, Mandopoulos said.
Doug Franklin, director of public service and safety, gave the reprimand, which he described as "a written warning," to Mandopoulos in reference to his conduct at that meeting. Council members discussed the matter in an executive session during this week's council meeting, Novak said.
Group of landlords
Mandopoulos, who owns rental properties in the city, was part of a large group of landlords in attendance at the committee meeting, at which a controversial ordinance opposed by the landlords was on the agenda.
That ordinance, which will be discussed further at a 4 p.m. Wednesday health and welfare committee meeting, would raise annual permit fees in nonowner-occupied properties from $18 to $96 per dwelling unit and provide for regular inspections of these units.
Mandopoulos was frustrated because he wasn't permitted to speak at the committee meeting, Novak said. However, other landlords addressed council with permission at the next day's full council meeting.
"He became upset and said that I was discriminating against him," Novak said of Mandopoulos.
Council rules don't require speakers to be heard at committee meetings, Novak said. Mandopoulos wasn't there to address a police matter, and it wouldn't have been fair to let him speak on a landlord-tenant issue without giving others the floor, Novak said.
"I did leave the meeting when he said I couldn't speak, and I thought that was very unfair," the chief said. "Everything that I had to say, I said out in the hallway -- not in that meeting."
Must be courteous
Franklin wrote to Mandopoulos: "You are hereby ordered to remain courteous towards City Council persons. Your actions in public represent the police department at all times, and you need to conduct yourself accordingly.
"Any interests you might wish to present to Council must be handled in a professional manner. I cannot tolerate anything less in the future," Franklin added.
"They're saying that I'm not allowed to speak as a city resident; I'm always speaking as a chief of police. Well, who speaks for me?" Mandopoulos asked.
milliken@vindy.com