Prepared Comments Made to
NORTH CANTON CITY COUNCIL
November 11, 2013
Since June
of this year, the Held Administration has known that its long-time Water
Superintendent was going to retire at the end of October leaving a vacancy that
cannot be filled by just anyone off the street. Rich Steinhebel, the recently
retired water superintendent had all the necessary water certifications to hold
the position and many years of experience in the operation of a water treatment
plant as well as in water distribution. Mr. Steinhebel was a hands-on working
head of the City’s Water Treatment Plant.
One would
think that over the last four months the Held Administration would be doing a
publicized search for an individual with all the necessary qualifications but
apparently that has not been the case.
Last week, while
I was in attendance at a hearing before the Ohio Elections Commission in
Columbus, of all places, I learned that Mayor Held had offered the top position,
of what I would call North Canton’s Water Czar, to local attorney Warren Price.
Mayor Held,
how does an attorney, with no certifications or experience in water treatment
and water distribution merit consideration, let alone an offer of employment,
as North Canton’s Water Czar?
And Mr.
Snyder, I must ask you the same thing as you were the one who broke the news to
all of us at the Elections Commission when you approached attorney Warren Price
alleging that Mr. Price had a conflict of interest and should recuse himself as
the attorney for Jamie McCleaster and
Hillary Mueller. You stated that City Council was writing the job description
for the position so Mr. Price could fill the vacancy as Superintendent.
Prior to
the hearing before the Elections Commission, Mr. Price confirmed to all of us in
attendance that he indeed had been approached by Mayor David Held and had been
offered the position but that he, Mr. Price, had declined the offer some weeks
earlier.
The ploy to scare off legal
representation for Mr. McCleaster and Mrs. Mueller failed. Mr. Price remained
as their attorney.
Sorry to say, but despite the
unequivocal denial by Mr. Price that he had declined Mayor Held’s offer of the
position, it was disheartening to watch the President of North Canton City
Council Snyder continue to insist in the hearing that Warren Price had accepted
the position. It appeared to me that the President of North Canton City Council
was questioning the veracity of Mr. Price.
If Mr. Price were indeed about to
be confirmed as North Canton’s Water Czar, why would Mr. Price have agreed to
represent Mr. McCleaster and Mrs. Mueller against you and Mrs. Kiesling?
Mr. Snyder, why would you continue
to question his integrity?
Mrs. Kiesling, as Vice-President of
City Council, I ask: Are you comfortable that the Administration would offer
the Water Superintendent’s position to an individual with no technical
expertise in water?
I was further disheartened to watch
Mr. Snyder waffle under oath during the hearing and proclaim he was unable to
confirm for the Elections Commission his very own words from a recording of a
North Canton City Council meeting.
If the Held Administration and the
highest ranking officials of North Canton City Council are not questioning the
process of filling the critically important position of Water Superintendent
for the City of North Canton, who is?
When is North Canton going to
implement improved hiring best practices when filling high level positions in
the City?
Why isn’t there a search process
written into the city’s personnel procedures that outline the proper way in
which high-level leadership positions are to be filled in the city?
Why aren’t individuals expected to
be technically qualified for the position they are offered?
Why is the employment process in
North Canton always cloaked in secrecy?
Mayor Held, there is no manner of
transparency and accountability in cronyism.
Cronyism should not be the accepted
method to finding qualified individuals to fill high-level leadership positions
in the City of North Canton.
Most certainly it is not a way to
fill such a critically important position as North Canton’s Water
Superintendent.
North Canton leadership must do
better than this!
Thank you,
Chuck Osborne, Resident
City of North Canton
