Village awaits results of 2nd investigation

GOODRICH — The Village of Goodrich residents are still awaiting the findings of a second forensic investigation aimed at bringing closure to a previous computer investigation employees say violated their privacy.

In November after a petition requesting the Village of Goodrich take action over allegations of employee’s personal information being compromised in the investigation conducted by Dalman Investigation, the council approved hiring Certified Public Accountant and Fraud Examiner Karl Haiser for $9,300 to further investigate the matter.

The petition, signed by 18 former and present employees, claims the village violated its Social Security Number Privacy Policy resolution when Dalman Investigations was given access to the village server containing employees’ personal information as well as the village administrator’s computer.

In addition, the current council has yet to approve paying Dalman Investigations owner Larry Dalman the $6,134.47 due for his services, claiming Dalman was hired without a vote of the council.

Former Council President Patricia Wartella hired Dalman last year at the recommendation of the state police after the village administrator’s hard drive was removed from the office despite a 3-2 voted by the council requesting it be turned over to authorities for copying.

Current Council President Rick Horton has previously stated he had the hard drive at his home for the weekend before turning it over to the sheriff’s department.

Dalman — who has a signed contract with Wartella and Councilman Doug McAbee — has declined an invitation by the council to come and discuss his findings without first being paid.

In an effort to bring resolution to the year-long matter, Haiser’s investigation was to include speaking with village employees and Dalman and reviewing state and federal laws to determine who is responsible for the unpaid Dalman Investigations bill and the release of village files.

Council President Rick Horton informed residents at Monday night’s meeting that they had received information from Haiser on Feb. 10. Horton said due to a lack of time to review the findings however, the council would discuss the investigation at its regularly scheduled March meeting.

“No one really had a good chance to look at it,” Horton said. “I think the right thing to do is to not comment on it. We don’t know too much about it...(we need to) have time for everyone to take a look at what he has and do due diligence and the right thing.”

Haiser was absent from the meeting and was unable to be reached for comment Tuesday.

Village resident Cynthia Beebe-Johnson said she wants answers as to why the findings have not been released despite the fact that the study is completed.

“You don’t do one study and not follow through with another one. It’s done. It’s there. It’s waiting,” Beebe- Johnson said. “You guys have pounded this through our heads — compromised Social Security numbers, computers, all these accusations — it’s ludicrous. You have to do this for us (the citizens), it’s the right thing to do.”

The next schedule village meeting is at 7 p.m. on March 12 at the village administrative offices, 7338 S. State Road.