LEBANON — City Council will attempt this week to bridge a growing rift between two of its top three employees.

        “It's a management prob lem, and we'll manage it,” Councilman Mark Flick said of tensions between City Manager James Patrick and City Attorney Mark Yurick.

        Among the catalysts: Mr. Patrick is seeking a special council meeting Wednesday to consider legislation that Mr. Yurick said he did not receive in time for Tuesday's regular meeting.

        “It's intentional poor planning on Mr. Patrick's part: "Dump them all on Mark on Friday and let him work through the weekend,'” said Councilman James Reinhard, a Patrick opponent.

        The five tardy contracts — for playground equipment and utility poles, among other things — could wait for the next regular meeting, he said.

        Councilman Ben Cole agreed: “I don't see the need. I think this is more of a reaction, unfortunately.”

        Still, Mr. Cole said, “I support both of them, and I won't pick sides.”

        That appears to be the majority view.

        “I want to see these two people work together — they're both very capable individuals,” Councilman Ron Pandorf said.
       

History revisited
               The strained Patrick-Yurick relationship also has resulted in the attorney asking for an ordinance stating law department employees — currently a total of one part-time paralegal — work for him. Now, Mr. Yurick and Auditor Greg Dixon answer directly to council, but their staff answer to Mr. Patrick.

        Mr. Flick and Councilwoman Jane Davenport — strong Patrick supporters — say Mr. Yurick's proposal violates the city charter.

        If that's the case, Mr. Pandorf said, “there should be a gentlemen's agreement that these employees answer to the people they're assigned to.”

        Neither Mr. Yurick nor Mr. Patrick returned calls seeking comment, but their views have been at odds almost since both came to work for Lebanon in 1999.

        • The city manager knew about early retirement buyouts for three staffers in late 1999 and said nothing.

        When Mr. Yurick learned about the matter in early 2000, he referred it to the Ohio Ethics Commission. (An investigation resulted in the July indictments of the three retirees and Mr. Patrick.)

        • Mr. Yurick wrote in a June 2000 opinion to council that Mr. Patrick's changing of an employee's time card was a potential felony.

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