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Mayor’s letter: Hubbard chief is subject of probe
By Denise Dick
HUBBARD
The city’s police chief is on paid administrative leave pending an investigation of various charges including insubordination and misuse of city facilities, according to a letter from Mayor Richard Keenan.
The one-paragraph letter to Martin Kanetsky, dated Jan. 6 and effective the same day, says the leave is during the pendency of an investigation of “various charges including but not limited to insubordination, misuse of city facilities and or property of the city of Hubbard and jeopardizing the health of the entire police department and facilities.”
It also instructs the chief that he isn’t allowed to enter the police building facilities “in any way or have any use of police vehicles or property” of the city, effective Jan. 6.
Neither Keenan nor Kanetsky could be reached to comment Saturday.
City Law Director Jeffrey D. Adler sent a letter to Keenan dated Jan. 3 in response to a request from the mayor.
“You recently indicated that it is your desire to discipline and/or terminate Martin Kanetsky as Chief of Police,” the letter said. “You requested that I advise you of the legal process to be followed.”
Adler refers Keenan to the Ohio Revised Code section that pertains to discipline of classified civil-service employees.
“Pursuant to that statute, the chief must be served with a written ‘copy of the order of suspension, fine, demotion or removal, which order shall state the reasons for the action,’” the letter says. “The chief then has appeal rights to the civil service commission as indicated in the statute.”
Adler said Saturday that he does not know the insubordination or other infraction that Keenan is referring to.
Adler’s letter also recommended to the mayor that he detail the reasons for the action against Kanetsky.
“Specifically, you should detail the orders that the chief has violated; the dates such orders were given to the chief; and the dates that the chief failed to comply with those orders,” the law director wrote. “Also you should provide any other reasons for your actions. This statement should be notarized.”
Adler’s letter also says that as the appointing authority taking action against the chief, Keenan should prepare the notice to Kanetsky himself.
Adler declined to say Saturday whether Keenan followed his advice in Keenan’s letter to Kanetsky.
“I gave the mayor what he asked for, and he did what he thought was best,” the law director said.