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 By JENNIFER TANGEMAN
Staff Writer
Few people exhibit an enthusiasm about historical artifacts as Jim Bowsher does.
When crews working for G.A. Wintzer and Son Co. started working to build new office space on West Auglaize Street, they came across some interesting finds where a rental home had previously sat.
Jim Kent and others of Kent Surveying began finding pieces of artifacts. They called in local history buff, Bowsher, to try to figure out what the bits and pieces meant.
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Hearing set for police chief test |
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Friday, 06 November 2009 |
By KAREN CAMPBELL
Assistant Managing Editor
After a candidate for the position of Wapakoneta Police chief raised questions about the testing process, Civil Service Commission members agreed Thursday to schedule a hearing to review questions that were protested.
Lt. Greg Lowry, a 22-year veteran police officer, said he requested the exam’s grading be reviewed and that maybe it was acted on too hastily.
David Kessler, an attorney from Blaugrund, Herbert & Martin, of Worthington, who is representing Lowry, said after the meeting that the issue is not with Police Chief Russ Hunlock, as he and Lowry have worked side-by-side as law enforcement officers for more than 17 years — the issue is with the test.
“The good news is you have a qualified chief no matter what,” Kessler said. “It is an important issue. One you should get right.’
Hunlock, who scored slightly more than 1 point higher than Lowry after protested questions were reviewed, was sworn in as city police chief on Oct. 19, replacing retired Police Chief Dave Webb. Before questions were protested originally, Lowry had been ahead on the scoring.
Although Kessler said he had at least 57 issues with the test that were worthy of attention, he planned to focus on two questions — one about off-duty employment and the other about sexual harrassment.
Civil Service Commission members agreed that a quasi-judicial hearing would be held to review those questions beginning at 9 a.m. Nov. 19.
“That’s why we are here,” Commission Secretary Jay Koenig said. “It’s why we scheduled a hearing. We are going to address this.”
Commission member Don Wittwer, who served as Wapakoneta mayor, said scheduling that hearing as soon as possible was important, both for the welfare of the individuals involved and the city.
“Time is a factor,” Wittwer said. “This has to be settled. We can’t let this go on. Either candidate is excellent.”
The firm that developed the police chief’s test, Public Service Testing Association, of Springfield, came under intense scrutiny during the meeting, but James Hudson, president of the company, told the Wapakoneta Daily News that he stood behind the test.
“It was based on materials given to us by the city,” Hudson said. “They had grievances about a couple of questions and we answered those.”
The company, which creates comparable types of tests for a variety of employers, has been doing so since 1975 and has been fulfilling that capacity for Wapakoneta for more than six years.
The first question Kessler recommended throwing out was about approved off-duty employment for police officers.
Referring to the Wapakoneta Police Conduct Code, Kessler said neither answer given by the candidates was a good answer, as there was no good answer on the test, which muddled up two different areas of off-duty employment, wording the question and answers confusingly.
He questioned whether those writing the test got it right or read the documents carefully when they were given the task of creating the test.
He made a similar comment in reference to the second question, which referenced the definition of sexual harassment in the workplace.
Using legal cases as precedent, Kessler said he felt the only correct answer was the one Lowry gave, not the one Hunlock received credit for as correct by the testing company.
Hunlock’s answer said it is only sexual harassment when it is a condition of employment, while Lowry said sexual harassment also means creating a hostile or offensive work environment.
Kessler said he did not feel it was right to throw out the question, but to make Lowry’s answer the correct one in this situation.
“Those two questions are absolutely black-and-white in my mind,” Kessler said.
“If you throw both questions out you have a tie and there are rules to break ties,” he said. “If you change one to make Lowry right, he is the chief based on the score.
“It makes a difference,” Kessler said. “They have very close raw scores.”
Pointing out a rountine scoring error that did not negatively impact either candidate, Kessler suggested the city shop around for a new testing company.
“This is poor work,” Kessler said.
City Law Director Dennis Faller said quasi-judicial hearings before boards have some formalities with subpeonas issued, witnesses sworn in, and a recording made, but instead of a judge it would be up to the commission members to act as laymen, offering opinions and making decisions in the administrative process.
Wapakoneta Mayor Rodney Metz told the Wapakoneta Daily News after the meeting that with other steps involved, a tie on the test would not be possible, no matter what ruling was made by the Civil Service Commission on the two questions.
He said if test scores are the same, other factors go into the decision, such as how long it took them to complete the test, attendance, and how long they have served the department, factors which are all different between the two candidates.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 09 November 2009 )
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