By Margie Kacoha
Palm Beach Daily News
PALM BEACH, Fla. — Former Palm Beach Fire-Rescue Battalion Chief Jason Weeks will face the Town Council’s Administrative and Personnel Committee this week as he fights a demotion, pay cut and suspension.
Public Safety Director Kirk Blouin stripped Weeks of his duties as a battalion chief in October after learning of his involvement on developing and maintaining a private, union-backed website — PalmBeachPensions.com — while on town time, using town equipment.
The website criticized the town’s position of cutting pension benefits, an issue during contract negotiations with Local 2928 of the International Association of Firefighters.
The Town Council approved the pension reductions for Palm Beach Fire-Rescue, although the town has not yet implemented those changes.
Weeks, 39, admitted his involvement with the site, which cost former Fire Chief Bill Amador his job. Town Manager Peter Elwell fired Amador in January for working on the site as a member of the town’s management team.
Amador has a pending lawsuit against the town seeking reinstatement.
With a demotion to firefighter/paramedic, Weeks’ salary dropped from $104,093 to $82,043. Blouin also imposed a 240-hour suspension, which is on hold pending the outcome of his appeal, Deputy Fire- Rescue Chief Darrel Donatto confirmed Saturday.
Weeks, who has been with the department since 1994, had the option of pleading his case before the Grievance Resolution Board, a panel made up of the town manager and two town employees. He chose instead to go before Committee Chairman Richard Kleid and Council President David Rosow.
They will make a recommendation to the full Town Council, which will have the final say.
Weeks was the subject of an internal investigation.
Other issues cited by Blouin included a finding by investigators that Weeks went grocery shopping at CityPlace while using a department engine with other crew members on board following an assistance call to West Palm Beach.
The investigation also noted that Weeks failed to notify his supervisor of their whereabouts.
Blouin also cited Weeks’ failure to report the abuse of sick time by a staff member, and an animated “Happy Holidays” web video depicting Town Council members dancing around dressed as elves.
Blouin maintains Weeks also posted online anti-department comments on Palm Beach Daily News stories.
Weeks declined to comment Saturday on his upcoming hearing.
Copyright 2012 ProQuest Information and Learning
All Rights Reserved
ProQuest SuperText
Copyright 2012 Palm Beach Post