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Indian Rocks Beach manager accepts deal

After some back-and-forth and suspense, Al Grieshaber Jr. takes the city's final offer of $84,000.

By SHEILA MULLANE ESTRADA
Published February 19, 2006

INDIAN ROCKS BEACH - Al Grieshaber Jr. now is officially city manager and is wasting no time putting his stamp on how this sometimes turbulent beach community operates.

He formally signed his employment contract Wednesday, one day after a meeting that kept the City Commission and residents in suspense for more than an hour over whether or not he would accept the permanent job.

Pay was at issue.

Grieshaber was first hired as interim city manager after the controversial resignation of City Manager John Coffey. After an extensive candidate search, he was offered the permanent job in December at a salary of $74,000.

The city had advertised the position with a salary of $70,000 to $100,000.

After negotiating for weeks with the city's attorney, Grieshaber asked for $102,500 plus benefits.

The commission countered with $84,000 and fewer benefits.

On Tuesday, Grieshaber lowered his salary demand to $94,000, repeatedly calling it "fair" compared to other city manager salaries along the beaches.

But the new salary demand met with sharp resistance from residents in the audience, as well as the commission, which voted 3-2 to stick with the original salary offer of $84,000.

"That is the final offer of the city," Mayor Bill Ockunzzi said.

Grieshaber stayed silent.

"So I take it you are not accepting the offer of the city?" Ockunzzi asked.

"I'll sit here and think about it," Grieshaber said.

More than an hour later, at the end of the commission meeting, Ockunzzi again asked Grieshaber, "Do we have a deal or not?"

Grieshaber nodded and told the city's attorney to write up the final contract.

"All right," Ockunzzi said to applause from the audience.

After the meeting, Grieshaber simply shrugged over the lengthy salary negotiations.

"Money is not the end-all and be-all," Grieshaber said. "Indian Rocks Beach has too many good people and good things going for it. I am thankful I have the opportunity to serve them and will do to the best of my abilities."

Since then, he has met with city staff members, individually and in groups, and published his management philosophy and a list of goals. Among them: creating a "pleasing and safe" working environment, efficiently delivering services to residents, and assisting the commission in "making good decisions" for the community.

"There is no limit to what we can accomplish if we don't care who gets the credit," Grieshaber said. "Positive attitude, effort and enthusiasm pave the way to progress."

He has already instituted stricter "financial controls" for city employees.

Ockunzzi said, "I believe the citizens, staff, commission and Al are all winners."

The mayor said Grieshaber is a "good fit" for the city and someone who can "strengthen relationships" both in City Hall and in the community.

"I am in total support of Al," Commissioner Jim Palamara said Friday, explaining that he voted against the commission salary offer because he feared that the city might lose Grieshaber. "I was concerned about how the negotiations went. I believe he will do an excellent job for us."

[Last modified February 19, 2006, 01:08:19]