By Ken Snyder
NOTE: This page, as presented here, is verbatim from the statement I have provided to the BPU Ethics Commissioner, the Department of Labor investigator and several lawyers.
10 July 2010 (NOTE: with Corrected signal control cabinet location in paragraph #6 on 4 September 2010)
REGARDING EVENTS OF 8 JULY 2010
To whom it may concern,
These are the events that unfolded on the date in question (to the best of my memory),
I clocked in to work at approximately 0750 hours (0800 clock-in time), placed my briefcase/computer case on the stand next to my desk, retrieved a can of soda from the refrigerator in the shop and a toaster pastry package from my desk, and proceeded into the working foreman's office for the morning meeting. Small talk was passed, comment was made as to Mr. Tim Hayes (Truck #46) being on vacation and Mr. Yoder taking his place; discussion occurred as to what assignment Mr. Yoder would work on: signal pole on the northwest corner at I-635 and Parallel was one of the primary locations discussed.
Once the meeting was over I took copies of my military Leave and Earnings Statements (LES) to the pay office for the dates of 14 June 2010 to 18 June 2010 and 24 June 1020 to 27 June 2010. At that time (and as of the time of this letter) I had not received a LES for the dates of 21 June 2010 to 23 June 2010 and explained this to the ladies in the office, and that only the dates of 24 and 25 June on the second LES should be considered for BPU pay purposes. They asked as to the dates on the statements, and I informed them that I had highlighted in yellow the dates they were for.
I went back to the signal shop, gathered the items I thought I would need (radio and clipboard), went to my van (#210) and proceeded to Fairfax Trafficway and the General Motors entrance to look at the current signal control cabinet and the signal detector loops for the new signal control cabinet I was currently working on. As I made my way to the location I drove through Kindelberger Road and 7th Street, noticing that the green light on the pole was not operating. When I arrived at the cabinet I started observing the existing loop detectors and the existing signal controller (a Multisonics® unit), noting that the current configuration had (in two locations) two detector loops tied together and running into a single detector channel -- in both instances these were "advance detection" loops.
I was joined by Mr. Michael Sisson, another Signal Technician. I explained what I saw, he went through and also checked what I saw, observed the southbound left-turn (into the Fairfax plant) signals and generally agreed regarding reassigning phase-specific designations to the currently assigned (#1 through #16) as well as that the current blueprint shows the working phases as #1 through #3 and not as the currently accepted designations (which would be #2, #3, #4 and #8). As we left I thanked Mr. Sisson for helping me understand what was going on at that intersection, informed him about Kindelberger and 7th Street and told him I would go back there and change the light bulb.
At 0925 I arrived at Kindelberger and 7th Street. The bulb was replaced with a serviceable unit and operated normally. I left the location at 0935 and proceeded back to the Service Center.
Upon arriving back at the Service Center I went back to work on the signal control cabinet for Fairfax Trafficway and the General Motors entrance, and assisted with removing scrapped control cabinets to the recycling dumpster as well as moving items around in the Signal Shop storeroom. I went to get lunch with Ms. Cheryl Castle (another Signal Technician), after lunch I went back to work on the signal control cabinet. I made sure the map on the cabinet door was accurate and as complete as I could make it. The next task I did was to start making labels to identify the location the existing detection loops would be connected to.
Mr. Greg DeGraeve came to me at approximately 1430 and said Mr. Eric Clark wanted to see me. Mr. DeGraeve and I proceeded down to the west end of the Service Center, where we met Mr. Clark. The three of us proceeded inside, up the elevator, and into the office on the southwest corner of the building.
Once inside the office (Mr. DeGraeve remained outside), I was introduced to a black gentleman I did not recognize and Mr. Sam DeLeon from BPU's central office. In front of the black gentleman were some papers, one that I vaguely saw had a box checked on it as "unsatisfactory." This same gentleman proceeded to tell me that he "saw a trend" and "didn't like what he saw." I was asked as to if I had anything to say; in my unprepared state to respond I replied that I had been told (in my March evaluation) that I needed to do better and thought I had. They informed me that I was going to be "sent home", and the meeting was adjourned.
Mr. DeGraeve, Mr. Clark and I proceeded back to the Signal Shop, where I was allowed to gather my personal belongings. Mr. Clark asked if I had any company keys, my ID badge and my time card, which I gave to him. As we were preparing to leave the Signal Shop, Mr. Clark said to Mr. DeGraeve "I will return and explain what just happened." Mr. Clark escorted me out to my van, where I retrieved my blue raincoat and a pair of gloves. From there, he escorted me out to the parking lot and watched as I got into my personal vehicle and left the Service Center.
Respectfully Submitted,
SSgt Kenneth Snyder
NOTE: It has come to my attention since I wrote this memorandum that the gentleman who "saw a trend and didn't like what he saw" and "sent me home" was Mr. Johnson.
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