Chicatelli won’t quit

By MARK TODD - Staff Writer - mtodd@starbeacon.com
Star Beacon

May 12, 2008 11:35 pm

— CONNEAUT — Shortly after hearing two citizens demand his resignation Monday night, Council man-at-Large Jacob Chicatelli — convicted last week of drunken driving — said he has no intention of stepping down.
“I'm not going to resign,” he said after the meeting. “I refuse to resign. I am an asset to the city.”
Monday’s meeting was Chicatelli's first since he was found guilty of charges related to driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. Chicatelli's situation stole some of the spotlight from Edward Somppi, attending his first council meeting as interim manager.
City resident Judith Parlongo, a former council president who unsuccessfully ran against Chicatelli a few years ago, was in the audience and urged the veteran lawmaker to resign.
“We expect our community leaders to set an example for youth to follow,” Parlongo said, adding Chicatelli's conduct was a “disgrace” and an embarrassment to the city.
Teasha Campbell, also in the audience, agreed, telling Chicatelli any unwillingness to resign would only make him and the city look bad. She also noted his previous conviction on the same charge, saying two convictions are too many, she said.
Chicatelli's first OMVI conviction came in December 2004. He pleaded no contest and was found guilty. The most recent incident came after a traffic stop on Broad Street early on the morning of June 23. He was cited for OMVI after failing three field sobriety tests.
During his trial, the councilman testified pain from leg surgeries performed two months before his June arrest caused him to fail the tests that gauged his coordination. A jury deliberated nearly five hours before finding Chicatelli guilty. He was sentenced to 10 days in jail and another 36 days of house arrest, all to be served at an unspecified time.
After Monday's meeting, Chicatelli maintained his innocence, repeating the claim he made from the witness stand that he ventured out of his home around 2 a.m. only to buy a pack of cigarettes. He had one bottle of beer before that shopping trip, Chicatelli testified last week.
“It was straight up (to the store) and straight home,” he said Monday night. “I will take that to my grave.”
Chicatelli also inferred he may be a little disappointed in the defense put forth by his attorney, Joseph Morse of Cleveland.
“People are a little suspicious (of the leg pain claim),” he said. “I hoped we would have had a change of venue.”
A change of venue, if approved by the presiding judge, could have allowed the trial to be moved to another community in hopes of finding jurors unaware of the incident. Chicatelli's original attorney, Nicholas Iarocci, filed a motion last year seeking a change of venue if a jury proved hard to seat.
Chicatelli was adamant he would not surrender the seat held for 15 years.
“I won't walk away from the job,” he said. “The right is to not resign.”
Council hired Somppi last week to oversee the city's operation until a full-time manager is hired. Douglas Lewis, manager the past four years, will leave effective Friday to become assistant city manager in Painesville. Lewis is using up accrued vacation time until then.
Former City Law Director Robert Naylor urged council to find a full-time manager as soon as possible. Somppi lacks the qualifications to be manager as stipulated by Conneaut's charter, he said.
The charter mandates a college degree, which Somppi does not possess, for its manager. No job requirements are spelled out in the charter for interim manager.

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