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Safety Harbor leaders okay city manager's departure

Commissioners accept the terms of a deal for Wayne Logan's resignation but amend the date to Nov. 1.

By EILEEN SCHULTE
Published June 7, 2006

SAFETY HARBOR - Speaking before an overflow crowd of about 100 Monday night, Mayor Pam Corbino asked fellow city commissioners if the group still wanted Wayne Logan as its city manager.

To which Vice Mayor Andy Steingold replied, "I went to Mr. Logan and told him I didn't think he had the support of the commission any longer."

And with that, the commission voted 5-0 to accept the terms of the embattled Logan's resignation offer. The group did amend one item, moving his resignation date to Nov. 1, instead of July 1.

Logan accepted the amended terms.

"Please don't feel I'm giving up on you," Logan said to those in attendance. "I love the city."

Logan said a city manager sometimes has to make a personal decision when he thinks he's lost the commission's support.

He noted that he has worked for the city for more than half of his professional life.

"I think I've left my footprints here," he said. "I don't want them muddied or brushed away."

Many in the audience applauded.

Logan, 63, drew criticism from commissioners last month for not informing them in a timely manner that a group of city workers expressed interest in joining a union. When Logan was alerted to the employees' intentions, the city hired a Tampa labor lawyer on April 24 to represent it in the process. But Logan didn't inform commissioners of the employees' efforts until May 19 in an e-mail.

After learning he had lost the support of some commissioners, Logan hired Clearwater attorney Robert L. Hoskins III to help negotiate his departure.

Hoskins submitted a resignation package to the city last week that indicated he would leave if the commission agreed to:

Six months' severance pay based on a 4 percent merit increase.

A lump-sum payment of his merit increase, retroactive to Jan. 7.

Payment of health insurance through May 7, 2008, when Logan reaches age 65.

One month of vacation before his resignation, effective July 1.

Payment for all unused vacation and sick leave.

Expenses for Logan to attend a convention in Texas in September.

Attorney fees in connection with his resignation.

Under the amended terms, Logan will be on vacation for one month before his Nov. 1 effective resignation date.

Logan has been with the city for 25 years, and its city manager since 2002. His current salary is about $94,000 a year, not including benefits.

Commissioners said a company would probably be hired to do a nationwide search for a new city manager.

Also Monday night, a salary study done by Safety Harbor's human resources director shows that city employees' wage ranges are about 15 percent lower than in other small Pinellas County cities.

Commissioners were scheduled to vote on a new two-year pay plan for workers to bring them more in line with other municipal employees at a Monday meeting. But because the item was last on the agenda and it was getting late, commissioners decided to discuss the matter at a workshop and get some feedback from the public.

The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday at City Hall.

"It's an extremely important issue," said Commissioner Kathleen Earle. "That (study) didn't show enough specifics for me to make a decision. Since it wasn't done by an independent consultant, I need to know exactly what I'm approving."

Earle asked personnel director William Cropsey to show commissioners specific salary comparisons rather than just the minimum and maximum ranges.

The study was compiled by city officials and the reaction of employees to the study underscored the tension and resentment among some workers. One said Monday night he was glad Logan was resigning.

Stephen Sarnoff, president of the Communications Workers of America, is trying to help employees in the Public Works Department join the union.

He said salaries are so low in that department, "some employees would be eligible for food stamps."

"Most employees are well below $35,000 (per year), which is considered the average wage in the state," Sarnoff said.

Mayor Corbino agreed.

She said she was appalled when she looked at the new pay plan and found that one city employee, an information specialist, would get a raise of only 43 cents an hour.

"Why do we go up so little on the sanitation workers and so much on the supervisors?" Corbino said. "For once, we need to do a little bit better than 43 cents for our employees."

Sanitation truck driver Eric Davis has worked for the city for more than 16 years. He partly blames Logan for the morale at Public Works which "is at an all-time low."

He said salary is a part of the problem.

"We're always at the bottom," Davis said. "Look at this: we're at the bottom of the agenda."

Eileen Schulte can be reached at schulte@sptimes.com or 727 445-4153.

Administrative Parks Public works secretary supervisor director

[Last modified June 7, 2006, 02:00:17]