Youngstown council delays vots on whistlerblowers, bullying, cellphones

YOUNGSTOWN

City council postponed votes on creating policies to protect whistle-blowers, address violence and bullying in the workplace and the improper use of city cellphones and computers.

“We’re in support of these policies, but members had some questions,” said Janet Tarpley, D-6th, council president pro tem, about not voting on the four proposals at council's Wednesday meeting.

Ordinances sponsored by Mayor John A. McNally on policies governing the use of city cellphones and computers were given to council the same day it met.

“It would be irresponsible to pass the late [ordinances] the same day we received them,” Tarpley said.

When told that council has done that before, Tarpley said, “We may pass ordinances on the same day as we receive them, but we have prior knowledge of those.”

Though the computer-use policy is new, the cell-phone policy was implemented in December 2013 by then-Mayor Charles Sammarone, now council president.

That came after a public-works employee racked up about $450 in private calls and text messages on a city cellphone on city time.

That policy requires those with city cellphones to sign a document outlining restrictions on using the items such as no personal calls except in cases of emergencies.

Though the policy is more than a year old, Law Director Martin Hume said he believed it was a good idea for council to formally adopt the plan.

City council could vote on all four plans at its next meeting Feb. 4.

Also Wednesday, council heard from Don Crane, president of the Western Reserve Building & Construction Trades Council, who said the city isn’t doing enough to collect its 2.75 percent income tax from all construction workers.

Council also approved a new contract Wednesday with its firefighter union.

Read more about the measures in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.