Ortonville- Department of Public Works employee Bill Prince was suspended for 30 days without pay effective immediately at Monday’s village council meeting.
Councilmembers Aileen Champion, Kay Green, Harold Batten and Melanie Nivelt voted yes on the disciplinary action, while Council President Ken Quisenberry and Councilman Dan Eschmann voted no. Councilwoman Mary Kassuba was absent.
In a letter to Prince dated Sept. 5, village officials charged that on or about July 18, Prince removed catalytic converters, without permission, from one or more junked vehicles in the Brandon Fire Station #1 parking lot, located at 53 South St. in the village.
The fire department uses junked vehicles for training purposes.
The letter went on to state that Prince removed the converter(s) with the use of village equipment while on duty as a village employee, during his scheduled work hours.
‘This was not a part of your daily assigned work, nor was it even within the scope of the job duties as a DPW laborer,? the letter read. ‘You then sold the converter(s) to a scrapyard for your own personal financial gain.?
At the meeting, Prince denied any wrongdoing, saying he entered the fire station prior to the incident and requested permission, on behalf of a friend, to remove the converters. Prince was unable to name who gave him permission, saying he asked a man at the desk of the fire station, who yelled down the hallway to someone else to ask if it was OK, and was told it was.
Prince said on another day, he wasn’t sure when, his friend was attempting to remove the converter using a sawzall.
‘I didn’t remove the converter,? Prince said. ‘It’s hearsay. I had nothing to do with the cars. I didn’t use village equipment. Mike was taking the converters off while I was weed whipping and cleaning up glass.?
Councilmembers noted they had witnesses from the fire department who placed Prince under the car removing the converter with the village truck in the parking lot.
‘It’s very coincidental that you just happened to be there weed whipping,? Quisenberry noted. ‘We have conflicting information. It’s compelling that this activity took place on village time.?
Prince protested, saying he was telling the truth, while Quisenberry challenged him, repeating that it was too coincidental and that Prince was calling people at the Brandon Fire Department liars.
Prince repeatedly noted that his friend was confirming his version of events.
Green noted that according to the day sheet, Prince never wrote down that he did work near the fire station and Champion said that fire department officials said they would never give anyone permission to take the converters, because they are too valuable.
When asked whether he profited from the sale of the converters to a scrapyard, Prince refused to answer.
Quisenberry, noting the severity of the issue and disciplinary problems in the past with Prince, made a motion to terminate his employment effective immediately, but the motion failed for lack of support.
Prince had another disciplinary hearing at the Aug. 25 council meeting, after he was sent a letter on Aug. 25 charging him with misconduct including frequent tardiness; frequently watching TV during work hours; frequently going to McDonald’s during scheduled work time, inefficient work habits; improper use of village equipment; striking the ornamental fence at the Heritage Garden while mowing without reporting the incident; improper reporting of overtime; and insubordination in which he failed to complete an assigned task and worked on an unassigned task instead.
Village officials, however, ultimately took no action at that hearing due to a lack of specifics.
Prince has had multiple disciplinary hearings and letters of reprimand since he was hired by the village council in January 2006.