By Steve Plunkett
Town commissioners approved a contract that enabled their interim town manager to drop “interim” from her title effective June 30, the day before new state rules tightened pension requirements for public employees.
The vote to make Kathleen Dailey Weiser town manager was 4-1, with Mayor Bernard Featherman dissenting. Featherman, who with Town Attorney Tom Sliney negotiated the contract, opposed paying Weiser $125,000 a year and contributing more than the 6.2 percent the town will pay toward its other employees’ pensions.
“It would be reprehensible if I said that I agree with everything in the contract even though I like the woman herself and she’s done a good job,” Featherman said.
Weiser defended the agreement, saying she told Featherman she would want a $125,000 salary the first week he was in office. “With the exception of the automobile allowance, all monetary items were negotiated downward from my initial proposal,” she said.
Commissioner Dennis Sheridan questioned why the contract was on the June 6 agenda if Featherman was not happy with it. “If it was not agreeable … why should it be submitted to us at all?” he asked.
Effective July 1, town employees are paying 3 percent of their salaries into the Florida Retirement System and Highland Beach is paying 6.2 percent. In Weiser’s case, the town will pay 15 percent and increase its contribution by 1 percent each year for five years.
The state’s new rules also limit severance packages to 20 weeks of pay. Weiser negotiated one month of severance pay for each year she works up to a maximum six months.
“Change is never easy, but I hope I have your support as together we continue to make the town of Highland Beach the best it can be,” Weiser said.
Commissioners also decided to turn in the Nissan Murano the town had been leasing for suspended Town Manager Dale Sugerman when his contract expired June 30. The town was paying $500 a month on the lease and $208 a month on maintenance, fuel and insurance.
Weiser will get $600 as her monthly automobile allowance.
Sugerman was suspended in January after commissioners learned he planned to put Town Clerk Beverly Brown on a one-month unpaid suspension for forwarding racist emails on the town’s computer system. A hearing officer decided in April a written reprimand was enough punishment for Brown.
Sugerman continued to be paid $12,000 a month during his five-month suspension and kept the leased SUV. Weiser was named interim town manager Feb. 22 and paid $6,000 a month. Ú
Comments