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After spending the last month without an official city administrator following the sudden resignation of the recently hired Richard Downey effective Aug. 15, the City of Washington has found a replacement — for the time being.
The former Washington City Administrator Bob Morris — who was city administrator for nine years in Washington and retired from his post June 22 — will step into the position part time for about 20 hours a week until March 12, 2012, and continue on a month-to-month basis. Both parties have the option to terminate the contract with at least 30 days notice.
Downey resigned "to pursue pressing personal and family matters" and received more than $60,000 in severance pay, health insurance and moving expenses.
By signing the resignation agreement, neither the city nor Downey are allowed to talk about what led to the contract's termination after Downey spent no more than 45 days on the job.
In the 20 hours per week the re-hired Morris is working he will be expected to have office hours Monday through Thursday and according to the contract, "(be) available for flexible scheduling throughout the week" in addition to attending the regular city council meetings and committee of the whole meetings.
According to the contract, Morris "will only be performing essential core duties of the position of city administrator."
"It's too bad it had to happen this way, but for us to rebound — and I hope the taxpayers understand we are trying to watch their dollars, I just think it's the best bang for our buck," Mayor Gary Manier said.
Manier said he first approached Morris about returning to his post in an interim position a few weeks ago after "bumping into him at city hall".
"I kind of asked him if he was interested — not thinking anything about it and he said 'I might be,'" Manier said.
Morris will be paid an hourly rate of $50 per hour and because he was already set to receive group medical coverage until April 30, 2012 — because of his previous employment agreement — he will receive one month of city-paid group medical insurance benefits beyond that date for every 70 hours of work with any hours less than 70 at the end of termination being prorated.
While it is a "part-time position" with only 20 hours per week required, the city will pay Morris for every hour he works beyond the 20 hours in a week, not to exceed 40 hours unless otherwise authorized by Manier.
After spending the last month without an official city administrator following the sudden resignation of the recently hired Richard Downey effective Aug. 15, the City of Washington has found a replacement — for the time being.
The former Washington City Administrator Bob Morris — who was city administrator for nine years in Washington and retired from his post June 22 — will step into the position part time for about 20 hours a week until March 12, 2012, and continue on a month-to-month basis. Both parties have the option to terminate the contract with at least 30 days notice.
Downey resigned "to pursue pressing personal and family matters" and received more than $60,000 in severance pay, health insurance and moving expenses.
By signing the resignation agreement, neither the city nor Downey are allowed to talk about what led to the contract's termination after Downey spent no more than 45 days on the job.
In the 20 hours per week the re-hired Morris is working he will be expected to have office hours Monday through Thursday and according to the contract, "(be) available for flexible scheduling throughout the week" in addition to attending the regular city council meetings and committee of the whole meetings.
According to the contract, Morris "will only be performing essential core duties of the position of city administrator."
"It's too bad it had to happen this way, but for us to rebound — and I hope the taxpayers understand we are trying to watch their dollars, I just think it's the best bang for our buck," Mayor Gary Manier said.
Manier said he first approached Morris about returning to his post in an interim position a few weeks ago after "bumping into him at city hall".
"I kind of asked him if he was interested — not thinking anything about it and he said 'I might be,'" Manier said.
Morris will be paid an hourly rate of $50 per hour and because he was already set to receive group medical coverage until April 30, 2012 — because of his previous employment agreement — he will receive one month of city-paid group medical insurance benefits beyond that date for every 70 hours of work with any hours less than 70 at the end of termination being prorated.
While it is a "part-time position" with only 20 hours per week required, the city will pay Morris for every hour he works beyond the 20 hours in a week, not to exceed 40 hours unless otherwise authorized by Manier.
"To me, I'm hoping to ease the pain of some taxpayers' feelings that we gave this lump sum (more than $60,000 in severance pay, health insurance and moving costs) to this gentleman (Richard Downey) and rather than going out and hiring another person at $100,000, I think it's in the taxpayers' best interest and in ours that he (Morris) will hit the ground running and it's at a bargain."
According to Manier, the city will probably begin looking for a long-term replacement for the position around February or March of 2012 — about the same time they began looking for Morris' successor this year.
"If the council or Bob decides to do something else ... we may have to start the process (earlier) or at the end of that six months," he said.
Manier said he is "ecstatic" that Morris is coming back into the fold because "he will hit the ground running" and there won't be a learning curve because he spent the last nine years in the position.
"He's going to hopefully get us through the hump here," he said. "Obviously council and department heads will have to pull their fair share; (Police Chief Jim Kuchenbecker) has been acting city administrator and we'll still engage our department heads, but Bob is going to do the core work."
Make sure to read the article in the Sept. 14 issue of the Washington Times-Reporter to find out more information about other city council discussion items such as a Dallas Road pedestrian bridge and sidewalk, new traffic signs and the purchase of squad cars, fingerprinting equipment, and other renovation-related expenses at the police station.
