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City Council flip-flops on retire-rehire
(by Joseph Koziol Jr. - March 17, 2011)
City Council flip-flops on retire-rehire
By JOSEPH KOZIOL JR.
Chardon City Council did an about-face last week, agreeing to hire back retiring administrators.
After meeting behind closed doors, council returned to announce that it would be looking into "transitional employment agreements" with three administrators who are looking to retire.
Council voted 5-2 in November 2010 not to allow any retiring employee to be rehired, except police and dispatchers.
"Council has discussed this matter in executive session and council is in complete agreement that we have decided and plan on hiring them back," Mayor Philip King said.
The action was taken to ensure the city would not be without three of its key positions -- the city manager, finance director and public service director.
Mr. King said he learned a week earlier that City Manager David Lelko, Finance Director Jeff Smock and Public Service Director Gayland Moore all could be leaving the city by May 31.
Mr. King said their leaving would be the result of changes being considered by the Ohio Legislature in the Public Employees Retirement System. Those changes, he said, could have an adverse effect on their retirement benefits.
He said the city is in the middle of several large projects, including planning a new service garage and union negotiations.
"It dawned on me that these three gentlemen leaving in such a rapid fashion could seriously jeopardize this city both in the short term and long term without some kind of transitional plan," Mr. King said.
He said, when John Sheehan, the city's planning and zoning administrator, retired last year, the city had ample time to search for a replacement and receive assistance from Mr. Sheehan in training his replacement. Without such time for preparing those coming into their new jobs, the city could suffer tremendously, he said.
He said the plan is to allow all three administrators to continue serving the city until May 31, 2012, under the transitional employment agreements.
He said that will ensure the city will be able to handle the large projects and have sufficient time to find and train replacements.
Mr. Moore had planned on retiring by March 31, Mr. King said. Mr. Lelko is expected to work out the details of the employment plan with Mr. Moore.
Council also scheduled a public hearing at its May 12 meeting for action on Mr. Lelko and Mr. Smock.
Councilman Robert Cromwell asked to make a statement about the issue because of his previous stance against the retire-rehire practice. "I was asked to set aside my ethical concerns and look at what's best for Chardon," he said.
He said the proposed changes to the public retirement system are causing public employees to consider retirement early to avoid financial losses. The idea of retirement for the three administrators, he said, is more a "function of the actions in Columbus" rather than their lack of concern or respect for the city.
Mr. Cromwell said the city's new planning and zoning administrator, Steve Yaney, is now well prepared to step into his job because of the time Mr. Sheehan spent training him.
The city could have "huge" problems if it does not allow for an orderly and smooth transition with the three administrators now considering leaving, Mr. Cromwell said. "The potential negative impact of these three guys leaving at one time is huge."
He said the city cannot "simply allow that to happen."
He said he spoke passionately about not allowing the retire-rehire policy, but the new transitional agreements will be a "very limited, very focused" transition.
He said the decision was "very difficult" for him, but "frankly, it's the best for Chardon."
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