Portland fires two workers

Two city employees were fired for negligence Wednesday.

Portland Board of Works terminated street department workers Ryan Edmundson and Ted Ferguson following an approximately hour-long executive session. Their termination, which is effectively immediately, stems from an accident Oct. 7 resulting in an injured employee.

Portland Mayor John Boggs explained Brandon Swoveland of the street department was grabbing materials out of the back of a pickup truck Oct. 7 near the department building at 215 S. Wayne St. in Portland. He was standing on the tailgate when Edmundson and Ferguson began moving the truck, causing Swoveland to fall out of it. The impact caused significant injuries to both his left wrist and arm.

Boggs said Swoveland will be off work for three or four months, but street superintendent Tom Leonhard noted Swoveland’s doctors haven’t given a timespan for the healing process yet. He may be able to return on restricted duties, Boggs added.

Before their termination, Ferguson had been with the department for about 10 years, and Edmundson had worked for the department for about two years. Edmundson was driving the truck at the time of the accident.

“It was kind of painful coming to the decision, but (Brandon) could’ve fell out of the truck and hit his head instead of his wrist,” Boggs said.

“We got reports from four different people, we got four different perspectives. It kind of came down to they were responsible.”

Boggs and Steve McIntosh approved the decision to terminate both employees unanimously. (Jerry Leonhard was absent from Wednesday’s meeting.)