Mifflin Township trustees will go behind closed doors Tuesday to discuss "employment of a public employee" in the police department. Chief David Briggs resigned effective July 31, and Brooke Darnell has been leading the department on an acting basis since Aug. 1.
The executive session, listed on the Aug. 18 meeting agenda under the police department heading, cites Ohio Revised Code §121.22(G)(1), the open-meetings provision that allows boards to privately consider hiring, discipline or dismissal of a public employee. The agenda does not specify which position or individual the session concerns.
The closed-door discussion comes as the three-member board also prepares to formally upgrade Darnell's title from Acting Police Chief to Interim Police Chief through Resolution 134-26, effective Aug. 1. Trustees unanimously appointed Darnell to the acting role at $43.50 per hour at their July 21 meeting, the same session where they accepted Briggs' resignation.
Briggs did not leave the township entirely. Trustees also approved his rehiring as a part-time police officer at $25 per hour, effective Aug. 2.
During unscheduled business at the July 21 meeting, trustees discussed appointing an internal acting chief through the November election and potentially rehiring Tammy Phillips, described in meeting minutes as a former chief who served for a short period.
Other police and fire business
The Tuesday agenda includes Resolution 135-26, which would amend department Policy 1021.7 to set the special-duty cost for a police cruiser at $40 per hour. The township's fire division is also seeking approval for a $31,387.50 Stryker Power Cot, a battery-powered hydraulic ambulance stretcher used to lift and lower patients.
The board, chaired by Kevin J. Cavener with Vice Chair Jamie D. Leeseberg and Trustee Richard J. Angelou, meets at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at the OPS Center, 400 W. Johnstown Rd., Gahanna, in the second-floor EOC Conference Room B.
The next regular meetings are scheduled for Sept. 8 at 10 a.m. and Sept. 22 at 1:30 p.m.
