Complaints presented against two Waterville city employees

By: 
Jay Schneider, LRlife@frontiernet.net

The City of Waterville and Waterville Police Civil Service Commission has received three complaints January 9 against a pair of city employees.

The complaints were directed at Waterville Chief of Police John Manning and Public Works employee Jordan Edwards. Manning received two complaints against him and Edwards one.

A special meeting was held Tuesday, Jan. 21 with the Waterville City Council and Waterville Police Civil Service Commission to discuss these complaints. Also attending that meeting were City Administrator Teresa Hill, City Attorney Jason Moran, and Jana O’Leary Sullivan, an employment labor attorney for the firm of Kennedy and Graven Chartered out of Minneapolis.

The purpose of the closed meeting was to discuss allegations against the two city employees. Both Edwards and Manning were made aware of the complaints and had the opportunity to open the meeting to the public, but decided against that. Because the meeting was not open, neither Edwards nor Manning were allowed to attend.

Sullivan said the city responded to the complaint as diligently and as quickly as they could.

Her office was contacted and the special meeting was scheduled. The city and Police Civil Service Commission authorized Sullivan to begin the investigation process. Sullivan is currently working to secure two different investigators, one for Edwards and one for Manning.

The data practices act does not allow those who made the complaints to be revealed unless the investigations result in final discipline, although Manning is entitled to additional information at earlier stages per the Peace Office Discipline Procedures Act. It also prohibits any general information about the complaints becoming public; at this stage, only the existence and status of the complaints are public.

In the meantime, Edwards and Manning were both given their formal notice Thursday, Jan. 23 that the complaints are being investigated and received informal notice shortly after the closed meeting. Edwards can continue working for the city while the investigation in ongoing. Manning has been placed on paid administrative leave.

When asked how long Manning will be on administrative leave, Sullivan said it is...

To see more on this story pick up the January 30, 2025 print edition of the LifeEnterprise paper. 

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