Brush Aside, Police Chief Dominates Town Council Meeting

The East Hampton Town Council held a special meeting on Thursday night to waive brush fees and to open the transfer station on Wednesdays. But just like the weather in New England, the conversation took an unexpected turn.

As Acting Interim Town Manager Anne McKinney was wrapping up her report to the council on storm-related matters, Council Chair Melissa Engel asked the status of Police Chief Matt Reimondo’s decision regarding the internal affairs' investigations into Sgt. Michael Green.

“I did meet with the Chief Tuesday,” McKinney said. “I told him I was concerned that again, another two weeks have gone by without any disciplinary action being imposed or even discussing [it] with the individuals involved. I told him I wanted to resolve this, that it’s costing the town too much in just plain overtime cost [and] wear and tear on the other individuals that are making up the time.”

McKinney offered to collaborate on what discipline would be appropriate, but Reimondo expressed a desire to make his own decision. McKinney noted, however, that his decision is subject to her review.

McKinney followed up her conversation with the Chief with a written request on Wednesday asking for Reimondo to conclude the matters no later than the end of this week.

“I totally agree that we need due process,” McKinney told the council. “There is a time when this is not considered due process, when you just stall or for some reason stop. That is not fair to any of the parties involved. There is a process involved and we have to go forward with that process.”

There is just one problem with McKinney’s deadline of Friday, however. No Chief.

“The Chief did leave abruptly … and since then I have received notice that the Chief is out of work for medical reasons,” McKinney said. “All I have is a document that said, ‘Out of work indefinitely for medical reasons.’”

McKinney received no other notification and does not know a timeframe for Reimondo’s return or his medical condition.

Council member Chris Goff asked whether Reimondo’s indefinite leave put the pending disciplinary issues in McKinney’s hands.

“I think we need to find out how long it will be,” McKinney said. “We can’t allow individuals to go out on indefinite leave. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been a lot of time. I will find out, and if it is going to be excessive, we may look into what other things we can do.”

Reimondo was abruptly laid off from his position as police chief on June 22, 2010, and Green was promoted to Lieutenant to oversee the department. In August of 2010, Reimondo filed a civil suit against the town, with Green named as one of the defendants. The Chief was overwhelmingly returned to office by referendum last November and the lawsuit was settled early this summer. On July 27, Reimondo placed Green on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigations.

There are or were three internal affairs investigations being conducted against Green. A fourth was described as dead by Town Labor Attorney Lisa Lazarek at the Sept. 27 council meeting.

It was at that meeting that Reimondo explained, “It is important that the investigations proceed so that all parties are protected, from Sgt. Green to the town of East Hampton. There is a process that needs to be followed.

“I would have liked them to have come to fruition by now, but unfortunately with an outside consultant conducting these investigations, we are at the mercy of his schedule also.”

According to McKinney, Reimondo received two different IA reports on Green more than a month ago and has been in receipt of an investigatory report on Officer Hardie Burgin for more than three months.

While Burgin has continued working, Green has not. At the Oct. 25 council meeting, Engel said that as of that Monday, “We’ve paid Michael Green $17,500 to stay home.”

Engel also pointed out at that meeting that Sgt. Garritt Kelly had worked 155 hours of overtime at $53.40 an hour over the last two pay periods or four weeks. Others have worked overtime as well, but to a far lesser degree.

Following up on Goff’s question of who’s in charge, Council Vice Chair John Tuttle asked, “Can we get [Green] back to work now that [Reimondo has] relinquished his authority as Chief?

Said McKinney: “I don’t know that he’s relinquished his authority.”

“You can’t be on leave and still be in your job. That doesn’t work, at least not in my book,” Tuttle said. “If you’re on leave, you’re on leave.”

But with information lacking on Reimondo’s medical leave and town policy regarding such leave, there was little else to be discussed and nothing to be acted on.

Finally, council member Thom Cordeiro spoke up.

“Let’s stick to the task at hand,” he said. “I thought I was coming here to talk about leaves.”

Well, brush to be more precise.

A motion was made to waive the brush fees and open the transfer station on Wednesdays through Nov. 26.

The council unanimously voted in favor. Council members Sue Weintraub and Chatham Carillo were not present.

After the meeting, McKinney summed up the Green situation.

“To have this hanging over everyone’s head, it’s not healthy for the police department,” she said.