Council decides to settle part of claim by former park caretakers

Sean C. Morgan

The Sweet Home City Council

agreed on March 27 to settle a wage

claim by former caretakers of Sankey

Park for $20,000.

Timothy and Esther Piety were

caretakers from Jan. 15, 2009 to

Aug. 31.

As compensation, caretakers

have been allowed to live in a house

located in the park in recent years.

Councilor Mike Hall served as caretaker

in exchange for housing for

more than a decade prior to the Pietys’

arrival.

The Pietys claimed that the city

owed wages, penalty wages and attorneys

fees based on Oregon law.

They filed a lawsuit in federal

court on Sept. 27. In addition to the

wage claim, the Pietys allege that the

city harassed and intimidated them,

engaging in racial discrimination,

during their employment. Timothy

Piety is black. His wife is white.

They contend that their employment

was terminated in retaliation

for complaints against the city.

The Pietys claim that they faced

racial harassment during their employment.

When they complained,the Police Department allegedly

failed to address the offenses.

The council’s decision addresses

only the wage claim.

“Changes have since been made

regarding the employment relationship

between the city and currently

employed caretakers to avoid future

wage claims of this nature,” said

City Manager Craig Martin. “It had

been working. We had no reason to

realize it wasn’t working. When it

came to our attention, we corrected

it.”

The settlement payment will

come from the city’s General Fund

contingency in the 2011-12 budget.

The settlement includes payroll

checks of $5,500 each to Timothy

and Esther Piety, with deductions

and withholdings as required by

law.

The remainder of the settlement

includes $4,000 in penalty wages,

with no withholdings, and $5,000 in

attorney’s fees.

Present at the meeting were

councilors Marybeth Angulo, Jim

Gourley, Greg Mahler, Scott Mc-

Kee Jr. and Ron Rodgers and Mayor Craig Fentiman. Hall was absent.

In other business, the council:

n Received the city’s annual audit.

n Appointed Brianna Thorpe to the Youth

Advisory Council in the junior high at-large

position. The YAC has one remaining opening

for a high school sophomore.

For more information or to apply, call

the city manager’s office at (541) 367-8969 or

stop by City Hall, 1140 12th Ave.

n Recommended to the Oregon Liquor

Control Commission the approval of a liquor

license for William Travis Autry, who is buying

the Waterhole Tavern from his sister, Theresa

Brown.

The Police Department began investigating

the request on March 12.

The business has been the subject of ongoing

enforcement actions by the OLCC, and

the existing license is in the revocation process,

said Police Chief Bob Burford. In recent

years, the business has been the subject

of frequent noise complaints, primarily from

nearby campgrounds.

“The primary contact person for the new

applicants will be out of the United States for

several years and will be depending on family

members and employees for day-to-day

operations,” Burford said. “However, based

upon the overall investigation, the department

found no reason to recommend denial of this

change of ownership.”

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