WARREN - A supervisor in Trumbull County's maintenance department has been suspended 30 days because of allegations of unwanted sexual contact with two female employees.
And some water customers of Trumbull County's Sanitary Engineer's Office will see rate increases through 2015.
Commissioners on Wednesday meted out the discipline against afternoon maintenance shift leader Tim Morgan and agreed to the water rate adjustments, a move officials say is needed to offset increased bulk water purchase rates in Warren and Newton Falls, the two communities that supply the county water for four water districts.
The allegations of improper conduct surfaced against Morgan in early January when a male employee reported to maintenance department head Al DeVengencie that Morgan had kissed a female employee. The woman did not report the incident, but told other workers, according to the investigation.
Morgan in a written statement said it was a brief kiss in the area of her left cheek and possibly the corner of her mouth.
During the investigation, another claim of improper conduct surfaced, according to a report from Human Resources Director Jim Keating. Another female employee told Keating that sometime in 2008, Morgan inappropriately touched her and used graphic language about his intentions.
Morgan denied that allegation, Keating said.
Both instances were reported to have happened in the maintenance department. There were no witnesses for either.
The water rate increases will affect customers in the county's Champion / Bazetta, Mosquito Creek, Warren Township and Braceville Township water districts.
Customers in Braceville, who are supplied by Newton Falls, will only see the increase for this year. Customers in the other districts will have increases every year through 2015.
The new rates would become effective in March and applied to consumption in February.
The typical 5,000 gallon a month user this year will see in the Champion / Bazetta district will see an increase of $1.35 a month; $1.33 for the same user in the Mosquito district; and $1.37 in the Warren Township district.
Warren officials agreed in November to increase rates 12 percent this year and next, 10 percent in 2014 and 6 percent in 2015. The city supplies Trumbull County water for the Champion / Bazetta, Mosquito and Warren Township water districts.
A 3 percent yearly increase through 2015 was already planned for those customers, lessening the overall impact of the pass-through rate increase proposal. Only the difference is being passed on to users.
In other action Wednesday, commissioners:
Agreed to suspend Denise Frankos, a worker in the Trumbull County Department of Job and Family Services, one day without pay. Frankos, who earns $13.57 an hour, will serve the suspension on Feb. 7. Human Resources Director Jim Keating said the suspension stems from attendance issues.
Agreed to pay $360 for the county administrator's membership dues for 2012 to the County Administrators' Association of Ohio.
Agreed to hire Lance Adkins as a full-time dispatcher at the Trumbull County 911 Center. Adkins will be paid $15.72.