PERRY TOWNSHIP — Perry Township Trustees held a special meeting on Feb. 20 to address two issues.
During an executive session, trustees decided to place Police Chief Tim Littleton on a 5-day, unpaid leave of absence. After attempts to set the dates of the leave, the trustees voted for the five days to begin when Littleton has been excused by his doctor from a current medical leave.
After the trustees voted on that motion, Littleton spoke up.
“Now, I’d like to know why you are placing me on suspension,” Littleton asked.
“For insubordination,” Trustees President Melissa Mears said.
Trustee Jason Hartshorn added, “There were a couple of things that happened. We discussed them — the issue of a purchase outside of the approval process with the credit card, along with a couple of other things, and because we’ve been working with you to help you stay in the position, we thought suspension was actually a useful tool to give you time to reflect on the things we’ve been working on. So that was the purpose behind it.”
The trustees then turned to the other issue on the agenda — the status of the K-9 program that is under way for the township. The plan calls for Police Officer Anthony Wynn to work with a dog in law enforcement within the township as soon as all the necessary paperwork, including the purchase of the canine, is completed.
Trustee Hartshorn made a motion to accept an agreement between the township and Officer Wynn as it was written.
“I also propose a resolution that we pay the $8,000 for the K-9,” Hartshorn said.
Wynn and the K-9 have been training together in order to be ready to hit the road when all the necessary purchases and paperwork are completed.
“Once we get to see what the Montgomery County policy status is we can move ahead, but they are out right now,” said Financial Officer Charity Grill. “Once the agreement is sent to OTARMA, the canine is covered and can go into use. We won’t have to wait for the appropriations.”
(OTARMA is the Ohio Township Association Risk Management Authority, an organization for township property and liability coverage in Ohio and is endorsed by the Ohio Township Association.)
At this time, Trustee Music addressed his angry outbursts at the Feb. 14 regular monthly trustees meeting. Music had challenged Trustee Hartshorn about being expected to sign a contract regarding the purchase of the afore-mentioned K-9 that he had not had a chance to read prior to the meeting. Hartshorn had made it clear he believed the contract should be signed that night because it involved the use of township money that was “just sitting there.”
They decided that Music would have until the end of the week to read and sign it.
Music also had expressed anger toward Littleton at that same meeting over a couple of issues, but he said at the Feb. 20 meeting that he had had a two-hour talk with Littleton since the Feb. 14 meeting.
“My level of frustration was tense. The level of frustration with him and with me reached a point. I think as far as me and Tim (Littleton) are concerned, he and I are working this out,” said Music.
“I put all the road guys (police) in a precarious position. I didn’t realize it was so bad as what it got to and I apologize to each and every one of you for that. That was never my intention to do that. I think we can grow from this and as ugly as Tuesday (Feb. 14) was, I apologize to the residents for how Tuesday was,” Music said.
He asserted that none of his complaints that night were a reflection on anyone and that the issue was mostly about policy.
“So, please forgive me. Me and the chief are going to try to work together better as well,” Music said.
Trustees Mears and Hartshorn accepted Music’s apology and business continued.
The recording of the Feb. 14 meeting is available on the Perry Township website at http://bit.ly/3xVFwyY for anyone who seeks clarification of what happened at that meeting.
The next regular Perry Township meeting will be at 6 p.m. on March 14 at the Perry Township Administration Building, 3025 Johnsville Brookville Road, Brookville.
