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," .