c_
BOSTON — City purchasing administrator Joanne Ouellette testified yesterday that former Mayor Sharon Pollard told her to keep her nose out of police department business.
"I was told to stay out of the police," Ouellette said under questioning during a Civil Service hearing for fired police Chief Joseph Solomon who is trying to get his job back.
Pollard promoted Solomon to chief in 2002. Pollard's successor, Mayor William Manzi, fired Solomon in May, and Solomon is appealing to the state Civil Service Commission.
Ouellette, who testified on behalf of the city, said she was never told to stay out of the business of other departments.
Pollard did not return a call seeking comment last night.
Ouellette testified about a requisition order dated March 27, 2006, for a boat and supplies the police department bought from Merrimac Marine, which is owned by Solomon's sister and brother-in-law. The price was $6,770, according to city records.
City policy says that for purchases ranging from $5,000 to $25,000, officials are supposed to get price quotes from three different vendors, Ouellette said.
The boat order only listed Merrimac Marine. Nevertheless, Ouellette didn't say anything and she drafted a purchase order to allow police to buy the equipment, she testified.
Solomon's attorney, John Vigliotti, noted Manzi was mayor when the police bought the boat — not Pollard.
"Did you say anything to Mayor Manzi?" he asked.
"No," Ouellette replied.
Manzi fired Solomon May 7 after receiving a report from attorney Michael Marks, who oversaw Solomon's city disciplinary hearing. Marks recommended Solomon be fired for verbally abusing officers, allowing grant money to be misspent, and he said the police department broke the law by paying Solomon's sister and brother-in-law taxpayers' money for marine equipment.
In 2002, Solomon disclosed to Pollard that he is related to Merrimac Marine's owners. But that disclosure only covered "repairs and maintenance of the boat then owned by the police department, period," said City Solicitor Peter McQuillan.
McQuillan and attorney David Grunebaum represent the city. McQuillan, Methuen's chief legal officer, testified that Solomon went behind his back and hired his own lawyer when the FBI subpoenaed documents related to federal grants, which the government later determined the police department misspent.
Attorney Andrew Gambaccini, who represents Solomon with Vigliotti, said during an interview that Solomon paid his private lawyer with his own money, and he did so because he could have been held personally liable for the alleged misspending.
The ongoing hearing will reconvene next Thursday at 11:30 a.m. McQuillan will finish his testimony, then the city will call auditors from Melanson Heath and Co. The auditors conducted a fraud investigation into police grants.
