Council complains about new hires
Two employees in the Merrillville clerk-treasurer’s office, one of whom is married to a member of the town council, were promoted to newly created director positions in a split vote Tuesday, with one council member saying the one choice smacked of nepotism and cronyism.
Kathy Pettit, a 23-year town employee and the wife of Councilman Shawn Pettit, D-6th, was named director of human resources in a 4-2 vote with Shawn Pettit abstaining, while Angie Chilcott, a 7-year town employee and 20-plus-year resident, was named director of economic development in a 5-2 vote.
Councilmen Donald Spann, D-1st, and Leonard White, D-7th, cast the two dissenting votes in both actions.
Councilman Richard Hardaway, D-2nd, said both job openings were posted internally a few weeks ago and Pettit and Chilcott were the only two to apply.
Each position has a salary cap of $65,000.
“Where does the council stand regarding nepotism and cronyism,” asked White, who also questioned how losing two employees would impact the clerk-treasurer’s office.
Spann said the council should have opened the positions to people who aren’t currently employed by the town, as well.
“Doesn’t this seem like it’s favoritism? It does to me,” he said of Kathy Pettit’s hiring.
Council President Rick Bella, D-5th, said it didn’t sound like favoritism to him.
“This is the promotion of an existing employee who’s been here for more than 20 years,” Bella said.
Town Attorney Joseph Svetanoff said he provided a written opinion on the hiring in an executive session of the council. He did not elaborate, but Councilwoman Margaret Uzelac, D-4th, said she felt that Kathy Pettit would be OK in that position after talking to Svetanoff.
Councilman Pettit said Chilcott has signed every check for the Redevelopment Commission, which she would deal with as economic development director.
Clerk-Treasurer Kelly White Gibson said she was assured both Pettit and Chilcott would be available to train the individuals who will fill their former positions. She said she’ll work out a training program.
“These are really good employees. I’m not happy to be losing them, but I’m happy for them,” Gibson said.
In other matters, the council voted to follow Centers for Disease Control guidelines in determining if masks should be mandated in government buildings in town.
“Things are up and down a lot. I’m not a mask guy, but I think we should make a motion to follow CDC guidelines unless there are special circumstances in town,” Councilman Jeffrey Minchuk, D-3rd, said.
The council just recently voted to lift the mask mandate in government buildings, with some council members removing their masks at the time.
The council approved the issuance of economic development revenue bonds for a new luxury apartment and townhouse development to be built at the current site of the struggling commercial strip center at Taft Street and 93rd Avenue. The town will have its name on the bond, but the developer, Don Weiss, will pay for it. Under the agreement, the town will receive the first $100,000 in increments received each year with Weiss using the remainder to pay off the bond.
“This will be a great project,” Bella said.
He said Weiss will be bulldozing a grocery store that no one wants to go to anymore and replace it with nice rental units.
Police Chief Wiley Luther Cuttino said he has been looking for a fulltime animal control officer, putting a notice on Facebook and through wordof-mouth, but has not been successful in finding someone.
The need for an animal control officer was brought up at the previous council meeting by residents.
Cuttino also said that the more than 25 individuals showed interest in joining the police department during the recent town-sponsored job fair. The department had a booth at the fair.
Town Manager Patrick Reardon said more than 550 individuals visited the fair and more than 50 vendors had booths there, several of whom hired some folks that day.