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Authorized sending pact to the city board of control for final approval
YOUNGSTOWN
The city health board approved a settlement agreement with its former environmental director, Cicero Davis, and authorized the city law director to submit the deal to the Youngstown Board of Control for final approval.
Law Director Martin Hume said Monday details of the agreement would not be made public until the board of control acts. If the settlement agreement goes forward, Hume said Davis would give up his right to a hearing before the city’s Civil Service Commission.
A commission hearing for Davis was scheduled for May 22, but did not occur because Hume and Davis’ attorneys, Michael A. Moses of Columbus and Timothy R. Piatt of North Canton, reached a tentative agreement.
In the appeal of his termination, Davis contended he did not violate his three-year “last-chance” agreement executed with the city April 9, 2013. Under the last-chance agreement, Davis’ attorneys said disciplinary allegations, including charges of submission of false inspection reports, were resolved. Under the agreement, Davis waived all appeals of disciplinary action for the purported misconduct.
Davis surrendered his license March 26 as part of an agreement reached during a hearing before the Ohio Sanitarian Registration Board in Columbus. As part of the agreement, Davis admitted incompetence, unprofessional conduct and dereliction of duty, but not allegations that he forged inspection reports.
Also in his appeal, Davis said he was unlawfully fired by Erin Bishop, acting health commissioner, saying the health board is the appointing authority. At its May 5 meeting, however, the board fired Davis and approved a severance package of unused sick and vacation days for him totaling $24,063.
In other action, the board approved the appointment of Tara Cioffi, formerly administrator of the Air Pollution Division and interim director of the Environmental Health Division, to the combined position of Air Pollution/Environmental Director.
Cioffi’s salary as air pollution administrator and interim environmental health director is $57,950. Her wage for the combined position will be $65,000 if the job description is approved by the civil-service commission and the compensation OK’d by the city, officials said.