EAST PEORIA, Ill. – We’re learning more about why the Fire Chief in East Peoria was off the job for some time.
Documents obtained by 25 News through a Freedom of Information Act request suggest Chief John Knapp was put on administrative leave for two weeks in January while an investigation took place.
Turns out, the documents suggest Knapp was doing work for his private company “FireTech, Inc.” while also working on city time.
Knapp reportedly admitted to not using benefit hours while doing his private work, and also had to agree various punishments in order to be put back on the job.
Those punishments:
- Knapp will not receive pay for 80 hours while he was on leave.
- Another 40 hours of leave will come out of his earned vacation time.
- Instead of working ten hours a day, four days a week, he now will now work eight hours a day, five days a week.
- He can’t work for his private company while on the job.
As it stands now, Knapp is set to retire in early May, and Mayor John Kahl says Knapp is taking all his available leave time up to then.
Deputy Chief Robert Zimmerman is the acting chief until Knapp’s retirement.
