The City of Atlantic’s Personnel and Finance Committee met Tuesday evening to discuss and act on recommending to the full Council, a severance package for City Administrator Doug Harris. Harris said he was asked to resign last Thursday, and he agreed his last day at work would be October 3rd.

City Attorney Dave Wiederstein layed out the tentative terms of the severance package, which was essentially what was stipulated in Harris contract when he came to the City in Jan., 2010.

The terms are as follows:  Doug Harris will resign as the City Administrator, and his last day of employment will be on October 3, 2014; The City will pay Doug Harris $52,049, which is an amount equal to six months of Doug Harris’ aggregate salary. This amount will be paid to Doug Harris in twelve equal installments of $4,337.42 (twice each month for six months beginning in October, 2014); Health insurance and retirement benefits received by Doug Harris during his term of employment will continue in full force for six months from October 3, 2014. The vehicle allowance and City-provided cell phone will discontinue as of October 3, 2014.; The City will compensate Doug Harris for all accrued and unused vacation and sick time as of October 3, 2014. Unused vacation and sick time will be paid to Doug in eight (8) equal semi-monthly installments beginning in April 2015 through July 2015.; There is a Mutual Release of Liability, and DougHarris agrees to not seek unemployment benefits from the City.

However, Harris said during Tuesday’s meeting that he doesn’t feel comfortable with the part of the agreement which refers to unemployment benefits. In particular, he was concerned about waiving his rights to unemployment benefits “forever.” He said it would be fair, and he agrees not to seek those benefits, while he’s being paid six months salary following his separation, but beyond that, if he is not employed, he wants that option open. There is also the possibility he may be allowed to purchase the laptop he uses, with the exception all city material and information would be removed.

There were a number of people in attendance at the meeting, who voiced their concerns over the sudden, recent developments. There were also questions by the media with regard to how and when members of the Council got together with and without Harris, to discuss his “resignation.” Questions remain as to whether those discussions violated the terms of Iowa’s Open Meeting Law. Wiedestein confirmed the Mayor and Harris had discussed the matter, but Committee Chair Kathy Somers denied there were any other discussions held, and that “No open meeting laws had been violated.”

Harris took over the position in 2010 from Ron Crisp, who retired in Dec., 2009. He recently butted heads with the Mayor and City Council over the Tax Abatement for improvements, which the City’s Legal Counsel, Bob Jostens said cannot legally be retroactive to Jan., 2014. The Mayor and the Council however, chose to make the abatements retroactive, and are leaving it up to Cass County Assessor Brenda Nelson to decide if the project qualifies for an abatement and if so, how much.

The Committee’s recommendation will be sent to the full City Council for action during its meeting on Oct. 1st. That meeting begins at 5:30-p.m.