Sides work on ex-chief decision

Commission members expect details of the agreement by Wednesday.

JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.

VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF

GIRARD — The embattled former police chief and city officials may be close to reaching a settlement that will end weeks of investigations and hearings before the Girard Civil Service Commission.

Atty. Eugene Nevada, representing the city, and Atty. Dennis Haines, representing former Chief Frank Bigowsky, met in council chambers as planned Wednesday for a public hearing before the commission, but ended up negotiating behind closed doors for 90 minutes.

Bigowsky is charged with teaching private classes while on city time, engaging in conduct that undermines the civil service hiring process and disregarding a valid direct order to meet daily with the mayor, among other things.

The charges were lodged shortly after a meeting with Safety Service Director Jerry Lambert and Mayor James Melfi, at which Bigowsky said the mayor was unprofessional and threatening. Bigowsky then sent a letter of complaint to the civil service commission.

As a result of the charges against him, Bigowsky was demoted to patrolman, but he is fighting that demotion.

When both sides emerged from the closed-door meeting, Kurt Latell, commission president, granted a continuance to allow time to reach a full agreement. Latell said both sides had informed him they were close to reaching an agreement, but not quite there yet.

“The parties, prior to today’s hearing, requested time to discuss a resolution between them and I granted that request,” he said. “It is not yet resolved, that is why I informed them that if it’s not resolved by next Wednesday to call me to set another date and continue this hearing.”

Latell said he is not sure what the unfinished agreement will include, but said it could be a wide array of things. He said the commission will be satisfied so long as both the city and Bigowsky are satisfied with whatever agreement is drafted.

Melfi and Lambert were not present at the hearing Wednesday.

Bigowsky was present at the hearing, but offered no comment on the hearing process or the pending agreement with the city. The former chief, accompanied by his wife and children, did shake hands and exchange hugs with his supporters in the audience.

In a previous hearing held last week, Bigowsky and Lambert divided nearly four hours in front of the civil service commission with attorneys for Bigowsky on one side and attorneys for the city on the other. Both men were grilled about every aspect of the charges against the former chief.

A list of additional people were scheduled to testify before the commission, including Melfi.

jgoodwin@vindy.com