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LGBT 101: Seminar seeks to inform and educate

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Their view: Our dismal water future, mapped

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; One of the two finalists for city police chief is no longer interested and the search to fill the job is at a &#8220;standstill,&#8221; city Administrator Ted Wampole said Friday.</p><p>Two weeks ago, Mayor Tony George said discussions with the finalists were stuck on pay and benefits. The mayor was out of the office until Monday and unavailable for comment.</p><p>Wampole declined to say that pay and benefits continue to be the issues.</p><p>&#8220;There are some sticking points that just have not been resolved, issues we&#8217;re not willing to negotiate on,&#8221; Wampole said.</p><p>&#8220;We&#8217;re basically at a standstill right now,&#8221; he added.</p><p>For confidentiality reasons, Wampole said he could not go into specifics and identify the candidates.</p><p>&#8220;One has pretty much moved on,&#8221; he said. That candidate informed the city he&#8217;s exploring other opportunities.</p><p>In the meantime, Commander of Investigation Joseph Coffay is acting as officer in charge of the department since Marcella Lendacky retired June 3 from the chief&#8217;s position that paid her $95,481 a year plus benefits.</p><p>&#8220;He&#8217;s done an admirable job,&#8221; Wampole said of Coffay.</p><p>Lendacky gave notice in April of her planned exit as the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association provided city officials with a report on its assessment of the department. That report stated Lendacky lacked the professional qualifications to be a top-level manager and along with former Commander of Patrol Ron Foy was responsible for the rift between the administration and rank-and-file officers.</p><p>Foy has been demoted to detective after his $82,154-a-year commander&#8217;s job was eliminated in a restructuring of the department.</p><p>The city advertised for a new chief in April and by the May 8 response deadline attracted 13 candidates from both within the department and throughout the country. A committee reviewed the applications and interviewed candidates, eventually recommending finalists to meet and hold discussions with the mayor who has the authority to appoint department heads. </p><p>Wampole said there has been no decision yet on whether the discussions will continue. But having Coffay in place has been a big help, Wampole said.</p><p>&#8220;It gives us some time to kind of regroup.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Wilkes-Barre City Police Commander of Investigation Joseph Coffay continues to lead the department as the search for a new chief is now at a &#8216;standstill,&#8217; according to an official. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/web1_TTL060818WBMeeting2-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Wilkes-Barre City Police Commander of Investigation Joseph Coffay continues to lead the department as the search for a new chief is now at a &#8216;standstill,&#8217; according to an official. </caption0><photoCredit0>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jerry Lynott</p><p>jlynott@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Search for new Wilkes-Barre police chief at ‘standstill’