Grand Jury Opens Inquiry of Plisky Hiring : Oxnard: The action is prompted by complaints that the ex-city clerk sidestepped proper procedure to land a Police Department job.

The Ventura County grand jury on Friday opened an investigation into the controversial hiring of former Oxnard City Clerk Mabi Covarrubias Plisky by the city’s police force.

Grand jury members Kenneth Hammond and Harold Lawrence Fick asked at least two city department heads about the hiring, officials said. The probe was prompted by complaints that Plisky sidestepped proper procedure to land a job with the Police Department’s crime prevention unit.

Many residents have contended that Plisky received preferential treatment in obtaining the job because of her years of public service and because she is married to Councilman Michael Plisky.

Mabi Plisky has denied any wrongdoing.

Hammond and Fick make up the grand jury’s subcommittee on cities and special districts. Other than to confirm the inquiry, Fick would not comment on Friday’s visit to Oxnard City Hall. Hammond could not be reached for comment.

Grand jury member William Stewart Jr. said the jury is not looking for criminal wrongdoing but is exercising its watchdog role over local government.

“We just had a couple of people over there looking into it,” Stewart said Friday. “There was so much publicity in the newspapers about it, they felt it should be looked into.”

Stewart said Hammond and Fick are expected to report their findings to the full 19-member grand jury, but he did not know whether their report will be made public.

The grand jury met with City Manager Vern Hazen and newly appointed City Clerk Daniel Martinez, City Atty. Gary Gillig said.

Hazen said he met with Hammond and Fick for about half an hour. The grand jury members asked about the procedures used to hire Plisky, and Hazen said he told them that she applied and interviewed for the position just like any other employee.

“It sounded pretty informal,” Hazen said. “I think they have gotten some calls about this and they wanted to know from me what I thought about it all.”

Hazen is conducting a separate inquiry at the request of the City Council. The results of the city manager’s inquiry will be released to council members in a special closed session Monday morning.

The grand jury--part of the judicial branch of government--is selected by lot from residents nominated by the Superior Court judges. Members, most of whom are retirees, are paid $20 a day and meet four or five days a week in private session. In addition to investigating local government, the panel issues indictments and can accuse government officials of misconduct.

The grand jury investigation comes two days after a group of Oxnard neighborhood leaders called for an independent inquiry into the hiring of Plisky, who got her new job after a failed reelection bid last month.

The 13-member Inter-Neighborhood Council Committee on Wednesday unanimously agreed to ask the Oxnard City Council to allow the city’s Community Relations Commission to investigate Plisky’s hiring.

If the request is not granted, neighborhood council representatives said they would ask the district attorney or the grand jury to investigate.

Dist. Atty. Michael D. Bradbury said Friday that his office has not been asked to look into the matter. He said the answer would be no if asked.

“Our office certainly has no intention of looking into it,” he said. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s a matter completely within the city’s purview.”

And Stewart said he is unsure how far the grand jury’s investigation will go.

“Sometimes things get going and just fizzle out,” he said.

Plisky, whose new job pays $20,000 a year less than the city clerk’s position, said Friday that she would not comment on the grand jury probe. In previous interviews, she has said she was only exercising her rights as a city employee when she sought the new job.

After losing her reelection bid, she asked for a transfer, which she received before her term as city clerk expired.