In a strange twist of political manuvering at the last minutes of the present village council's term, the Middlefield Field Police Chief Joseph Stehlik has been placed on "Administrative Leave" starting TOMORROW until July 17, 2011 !!!  Bizarre isn't it?  Wow...  One and a half years of LEAVE with an annual salary of $43,000 plus all existing benefits ALL ON THE VILLAGE TAXPAYERS' backs!   Note that is NOT the salary he was making when he was chief - the $43,000 is a lower figure. 

     I just received the "Voluntary Administrative Leave and Release Agreement" and it is very, very strange and does NOT state the reason he is leaving, saying only it is "voluntary".  Hmmm...  A healthy police chief does not normally request this and it's not in the village's best interest to do so because they would be paying him over $50,000++ FOR DOING NOTHING while paying another police chief MORE money...  What is going on here?

     I note that the agreement says on July 17, 2011 Police Chief Stehlik "shall resign or retire and terminate his employment with the Village."  Why would they possibly wait this long to can him if the mayor and/or council were dissatisfied?   What has this guy done to merit this? 

     And of course another question must be this:  WHY would these outgoing kooks like Edna Davis be voting on a man's future and livlihood right before they themselves were CANNED by the voters?  Gee, life isn't fair, is it?  We've come to expect this knuckleheadness from this council and the mayor and quite frankly aren't surprised at such radical behavior over in that fair berg...  These are the same folks who brought us super wonderfully insane projects like Wal-Mart, the "One Million Dollar Road To Nowhere", the mayor's free rides for boozy brothers, the million dollar splash park for wayward Warren kids and dozens of other kooky schemes that smack of those who "haven't gotten out much" and/or downright sneaky schemes. 

     It's a most unusual, yet totally transparent contract they cooked up for poor Joe.  It makes quite a few references to Chief Stehlik's "retirement" from police work, BUT allows him to keep his current bulletproof vest and duty belt and lets him utilize the cop shop so he can keep up his certification and maintain his commission.  Now I ask:  If you're retiring the man from law enforcement, why would he need his certification and commission?  Hmmmm....

     It quite clear that the mayor and/or several council members have problems with Chief Stehlik...  What those "problems" are may never come to light.  Accusers don't usually seek the sunshine and this contract reveals nothing in that regard.  Probably a few outgoing council members wanted revenge for something before their little power drives ended.  Could be the mayor doesn't like Chief Stehlik, but if that is the case, it is not he would wields the power to ax him, but a council vote.  And the council passed this "Emergency" ordinance this month.  Hmmm... 

     Seems that the entire council and the mayor are not happy with the Chief.  I was under the assumption that he was well-liked and doing well.  The citizens of Middlefield need to probe this one and come up with some answers.  I note that the contract says that requires the Chief to release and discharge the Village and its officers from all rights and claims that he's had against them in the past or future.  Hmmm...  In other words, Chief Stehlik has to go quietly away into the night.  Then he "retires" and the paychecks quit coming...  Hmmm...

     Tomorrow will be ANOTHER strange day in the unsettling berg of Middlefield.  However there is one silver lining to this date and whole mess of Stehlik:  WE WILL BE RELIEVED OF EDNA DAVIS AND WILL NEVER HEAR OF HER AGAIN.