Hobart Board of Public Works grants 30-day unpaid leave to police officer pending pension hearing
June 26, 2026 | Hobart City Redevelopment Authority Meeting, Hobart City, Lake County, Indiana
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The Hobart Board of Public Works and Safety on June 26 voted 2-0 to grant a Hobart police officer a 30-day unpaid administrative leave while the officer awaits a pension-board hearing scheduled tentatively for July 17.
Mayor Huddlestun called the special meeting to order at 8:03 a.m. and, after a brief roll call that showed Mayor Huddlestun and Mrs. Longer present (Ms. Galka and City Attorney McCarthy were absent), the board approved the meeting agenda unanimously.
Why it matters: The leave preserves the officer’s employment status while the State Board of Pension Trustees considers a disability application that the officer submitted in late April. Attorneys for both sides urged the board to act so the officer’s status is clear while the pension process proceeds.
Attorney Dan Whitten, representing the Hobart Police Administration, told the board the matter was not a disciplinary or due-process hearing but rather a request to act on the officer’s written leave request so the officer can proceed to the pension hearing. Attorney Adam Mindel, representing the officer, said there was no objection to a temporary unpaid leave but asked that the officer’s status remain open until the State Board of Pension Trustees issues its decision; Mindel also provided the board with the officer’s disability application and the employee handbook for the record.
Assistant Chief Nick Wardrip, speaking on behalf of Chief Ciszewski, said the police administration had no objection to granting unpaid administrative leave until the pension board hearing, and noted the officer had exhausted available paid time. The attorneys and staff confirmed that the mayor retains discretion under the handbook to authorize paid catastrophic time, but that the officer must be an active member of the 1977 fund to be eligible for disability benefits through the pension board.
The board voted to approve the 30-day unpaid administrative leave and set a follow-up status hearing for July 22, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. The motion was made by Mayor Huddlestun and seconded by Mrs. Longer; the vote was 2-0.
The meeting adjourned at 8:17 a.m.
Mayor Huddlestun called the special meeting to order at 8:03 a.m. and, after a brief roll call that showed Mayor Huddlestun and Mrs. Longer present (Ms. Galka and City Attorney McCarthy were absent), the board approved the meeting agenda unanimously.
Why it matters: The leave preserves the officer’s employment status while the State Board of Pension Trustees considers a disability application that the officer submitted in late April. Attorneys for both sides urged the board to act so the officer’s status is clear while the pension process proceeds.
Attorney Dan Whitten, representing the Hobart Police Administration, told the board the matter was not a disciplinary or due-process hearing but rather a request to act on the officer’s written leave request so the officer can proceed to the pension hearing. Attorney Adam Mindel, representing the officer, said there was no objection to a temporary unpaid leave but asked that the officer’s status remain open until the State Board of Pension Trustees issues its decision; Mindel also provided the board with the officer’s disability application and the employee handbook for the record.
Assistant Chief Nick Wardrip, speaking on behalf of Chief Ciszewski, said the police administration had no objection to granting unpaid administrative leave until the pension board hearing, and noted the officer had exhausted available paid time. The attorneys and staff confirmed that the mayor retains discretion under the handbook to authorize paid catastrophic time, but that the officer must be an active member of the 1977 fund to be eligible for disability benefits through the pension board.
The board voted to approve the 30-day unpaid administrative leave and set a follow-up status hearing for July 22, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. The motion was made by Mayor Huddlestun and seconded by Mrs. Longer; the vote was 2-0.
The meeting adjourned at 8:17 a.m.
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