Published: October 16, 2008 01:56 am      

CITY OF LOCKPORT: Youth official suspended over city car use by son

The city’s assistant youth and recreation director is serving an unpaid suspension this week after allowing his son to use a city van for personal travel.

Anthony J. Nemi, 54, was suspended Tuesday by Mayor Michael Tucker pending the outcome of a Common Council personnel committee meeting on the matter Friday.

Nemi, who also is a Niagara County legislator, admitted that he’d allowed his 18-year-old son, Andrew, to use the van for non-city related travel this past Saturday.

The van was the subject of a search by Lockport police on Saturday night, after a part-time youth and recreation employee reported seeing the van being driven aimlessly around the city.

The van was stopped by police as it pulled into Altro Park, the youth department headquarters, about 10:30 p.m. Saturday. According to the police report, five youths ages 16 to 18 were in the van, including Andrew Nemi and driver Spencer S. Barnes, 18.

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Barnes and Andrew Nemi both are part-time employees in the youth and recreation department.

Andrew Nemi told police he had his father’s permission to use the van. Tucker and Anthony Nemi were called to the scene, and Anthony Nemi verified he’d given his son permission to take the van, the report said.

According to Tucker, the youths went to the park to pick up a sixth companion on their way to the Haunted Catacombs in Cheektowaga. The trip was not open to all city youths and apparently was a private party, he said.

The city’s written motor vehicle safety policy says “all city vehicles are to be used only for official city business during the normal departmental working day. Vehicles are to be parked at the designated departmental parking area at the close of each working day. Exceptions (are granted to the) mayor, police chief, fire chief, highways/parks superintendent, chief of detectives (and) K-9 officer.”

On Saturday, Tucker said, Nemi suggested there was nothing inappropriate in his authorizing his son to use the van, because the youth department’s two vans are used regularly for youth field trips.

“Tony said it was OK because they do it all the time,” Tucker said. “I disagree. The youth department doesn’t normally do anything at 10:30 on a Saturday night. And when we do, an adult staff member drives the car. We don’t turn the keys over to 18 year-old kids.”

On Wednesday, Anthony Nemi said in a telephone interview that he still considers the Haunted Catacombs a legitimate field-trip destination — by longstanding practice, some youth department field trips are open to all and others are for staff, he said — but he’s sorry for his role in it.

“I did give permission to my son and (Barnes). They are staff members. I wouldn’t just let my kid use a city vehicle,” he said. “But I realize now it was a screw-up on my part, a lapse in judgment. ... I won’t let it happen again. I will accept any punishment the city sees fit to dole out to me.”

Nemi’s three-day suspension could be upheld, extended or shortened by the Council’s personnel committee when it meets Friday. Termination will not be recommended for the longtime city employee, Tucker said.

“It’s not the end of the world. It’s just stupid,” he said.

Barnes and Andrew Nemi will keep their youth/rec jobs, Tucker added, because technically, they had a department superior’s stated OK to use the van.

Tucker said he will recommend the policy governing city vehicle use be rewritten to state, explicitly, that only full-time employees are allowed to drive city property, and only with the approval of a department head or the mayor.

Contact reporter Joyce Miles at 439-9222, ext. 6245.