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Politics

Interim city manager named as second search continues

By SHELIA MULLANE ESTRADA
Published April 18, 2007

Steve Cottrell, former town manager of Belleair, has been named interim city manager here while the city commission seeks a permanent replacement for controversial former city manager Al Grieshaber Jr.

Last week, city attorney Andy Salzman filed a civil suit against Grieshaber seeking payment of more than $15,000 the city says he owes for allegedly unearned compensatory pay and improper moving expenses.

Efforts to have criminal charges filed against him were rejected by the State Attorney's Office.

Grieshaber has denied the allegations and is demanding to be paid vacation and compensation pay withheld by the city when questions were raised about checks issued for moving expenses that the city said were not properly documented.

David J. Linesch, an attorney representing Grieshaber, contacted Salzman several weeks ago about submitting a "proposal" to settle the dispute. In a letter sent to the city last week, Linesch said the city owes Grieshaber $4,653.60 for vacation pay and proposed that the city agree to "resolve" the dispute for "50 cents on the dollar or $2,326.80."

Grieshaber resigned in January to become general manager at Sun n' Lake, an improvement district near Sebring.

Last month, after reviewing some 20 applications, the commission picked Patricia Quigley, former city manager of Woodstock, Ga., and Gregory S. Wood, former Holly Hill assistant city manager and economic development coordinator, as the final candidates.

Those picks fell apart, however, after a background check revealed Quigley gave an invalid Social Security number and an invalid Georgia driver's license number. She withdrew her application.

The commission then decided to re-advertise the city manager position so that it could pick from a larger field of candidates. Wood was invited to reapply.

So far, five people have applied for the position in this latest search. Wood is not among them.

Cottrell, who has 16 years of city administration experience, is considering whether he would be a candidate for the position.

[Last modified April 17, 2007, 19:36:27]