ic ory in di
IDGHLAND PIC. - An ar
b' tr or. reportedly ruled on
the matter of 0 Highland
Park officer 0 were fired
because of refusal to drug
te t. Both e city dministra
tion d the police union claim
the ruling w in their favor.
Officer ab'il Hazemy,
President of Highland Park'
police and firefighter's union
claimed that the rbitrator
reinstated two officer - J.obo
Solomon and Fred McMakin,
who re dismissed for refusal
to take a drug test.
MaI'llUW Emersoa., Director
of the Department of Public
Safety, agreed t)lat the t
bitrator ruled that the two
police officers would be
reinstated. Ho ver, Emerson
. . ed that the rei ement
is only becau . of their long
record of ser lice and only on
the condition that they take
drug t and prove free of il
legal drugs.
He refused to confirm that,
the e two officer ere
Solomon and McMakin, statingl
it w unethical for the depart
IOCn to reveal name of officers
m uch disputes.
Propos!
Sealed Proposals will be received the City Clerk, 30
Gerald Avcnue, Highland P k, Michigan 48203, until
5:00 p.m. on July 25th, 1989 at hich time e will be
ope ed by the City Council for the furnishing of:
........ • .. oIF
C CA 1
Bids are to be ubmitted' accordance . p
and/or pecifica' 0 file in the EDgineerin Oflice,
16480 Woodward A venue, City of Highland Park,
Michigan 48203. All proposals m be accompanied by
a S% bid guarantee of an pprcwed form. A refundab
$25.00 deposi . required for each set of contr ct docu-
men . ued.
The right is reserved by the City to reject any or all
bids d to ccept uch bid or part of bid th t will be to
tbe dvant of the. City.
The City' an Equal Opport
Emerson added that of
officers a lie eDaDt and
,._.. ... the arb' 01' ed he
reduced in rank to a ser
geant for failure to obeyorde .
Em also claimed t
neither of the two officers
uld r . ba pay.
Hazemy . d t the union
not . t drug testin& but
against the city' introduc
ing "r dom drug te ting" in
violation of an agreement be
een the union and the city
under former Mayor Robert
BI lJ' Administr tion.
Hazemy claimed th t the
ee eat provided for testing
for narcoti gents and for spe
�ialized d ero j but not
for random testing of every
single officer, ether or n
there were grounds for
susp' ·on.
He said the ruling
demo rated th t n there
is a rule or procedure in efTect,
the administration to abide
by it." _
• y time t ey (member of
the . bOD] are ing to
violate their own procedure," he
said, "the unio will ct ccord-
ingIy."
He also charged that the city
vi ed co . utioaaI· to
privacy.
"J beca a penon is
police officer doesn't mean he
given up' . 'CO 'tutional
rights," Hazcmy said. HIGH D Pit - High-
Hazemy lso claimed th t land Park M yor Marth G.
the union posi ion in accord Scott appeal to the city coun
with rece t court rulings. cil to recon ider it earlier
However, Emerson strongly resolutio re o· . City Attor
denied Hazemy' char lh ney Darnell ickerson . its
the city had ever introduced legal advisor. he charged this
random drug testing or '0 ed ctio iIIe.
the agreement. Dickerson him elf rote
He maintained that deman couocil a letter, officially ap-
that tbe city's ctio were·in proved by ayor cot, . g
line with present policy and .that coUDCil to "meet in closed
the arbitration ruled t . . D", for the purpose of oid-
" 0 new policy." ing .. . 0 ."
The arbitrator Dot avail- either appeal received
ble for COIIUDCDt. upport the July 17 city coun-
EmersoD dded th the two cil meeting. according to Coun-
offacen were not •. be- '1 aft
• CI st .
cause of failure to e a drug Fred Ferris, Administrative .
test, bu failure to follow orders. . ant to the Mayor, stated
He stated the order to th t in aking the origiDal
take a physical in . ch drug esolution in May dismissing
test d be given. . Die er OD t eir ttorney,
Noting that the police coUDcil had promised to reeon- .
depart nt is" para military . der the . in two mo .
orgaaizatioD·, re discipline ·We don't bo y .hey
had to be . ained, Emerson failed to follow through OD
. d, -ney ould ve t en they re committed to do,"
the d griewd it (filed . Fenis .
grievaDce) later. . job In her letter to city council,
to foil orders." yor Scott charter
Both Hazemy EmersoD - . . that'ty
ted th . . pr a
ey e L�' attorney "shall be t e ad-
deC:wc:m rcpr two O(lKir .. alive head of the depart-
� the . differeD ment of la ," appointed by the
m yor, 0 may be "s pended
d removed by the maypr."
She cited Section 5-4, stat
in • e' er the Council nor
any of i me shall in any ,
. manner dictate or require the : __ �!!!!!!!!!!!!!_ __
appointmeD1 or removal of any :
City administrativ� of 1' ... · .. �.
and that "except for the purpose
of in . tion" council ·shall
deal with city dministratNe of
ficers. d emp oyees ho are
ubject to the direction and su
pervision of the m yor, solely
through the m yor."
Some council members em
phasize that they were ot firiag
Dickerson city attomey, b
were replacing him as coUDcil
lawyer.
While the charter in . cates .
that the city attorney' the -
tomey for the entire city and
every br nch of it. Council
members y another part of the
charter declares that in of
a bon fide dispute be n dif-
ferent city departments, each
department can hire i own t
tomey.
The members ay th t re
i currently ucb a dispute be
tween the council nd the
mayor.
They lso cb rge th t be
cause Dickerso is an appoi
tee of the m yor, he h
represen ed the.m yor' . er
est, rather than council' :
Both Scott and Die ersoa
privately oted that the of
paying fo a special cil-
to ey d be paid fo by the
city t a time of severe lludget
crisi
Ferris ted t the' of
Dickerson's removal eouacil
legal adviso a �noel
matter; d the Open M .
Act permitted uch closed
meeting OD personnel'
"We ill use h rever
resource nece to h'a� a
dialogue 'th council," .