The New City Manager Contract With Rick Daniels

A copy of the proposed contract with Rick Daniels is available here. It will be voted on by the City Council at their regular meeting on Tuesday, January 18, beginning at 5 PM. You should go look at the contract itself for the complete and exact text, but here, in my own words, are some of the elements:

• Effective January 1, 2011, expiring December 31, 2013.
• "At will." Employment may be terminated by the City Council at any time, with or without cause.
• He gets a computer, cell phone, internet access, fax, photocopier and other office supplies.
• He can and must do all the things a City Manager does.
• Mr. Daniels can terminate the agreement, with or without cause, with 60 days notice.
• If the city terminates his employment without cause, the severance payment is one year salary plus health benefits so long as he signs a release of any and all claims against the city.
• If Mr. Daniels is terminated with cause, the contract does not provide a severance payment. The City Council decides if the termination is with or without cause. If the termination is with cause, then the charges must be heard in open session with at least 48 hours notice and Mr. Daniels will have opportunity to address the allegations.
• The base salary is $217,000.
• Effect January 1, 2012, the City Council may give him a 3% raise.
• The City Council will set goals within 60 days. At the end of the year he'll get his Annual Review based upon those goals.
• "Daniels may be eligible for a bonus based upon Daniels’ achievement of those goals and objectives." No amounts or formula are stated.
• Claims subject to arbitration. All rights to a court of law are waived by both parties.
• Mr. Daniels will get the same health, vision, dental, retirement and other benefits, including PERS, that are provided to other management employees.
• He will accrue 160 hours of vacation per year. (That's 4 weeks). Upon termination he gets paid for all accumulated vacation time.
• He also gets 80 hours of administrative leave. It does not accrue. No payment for unused administrative leave.
• He accrues 3.69 hours of sick leave each pay period. This comes to 96 hours per year, or 12 days. Upon termination he can be paid for what he has accrued or it can be converted to PERS Service credit.
• He gets other leave the same as other management employees: bereavement, family and medical, jury duty, floating holidays and military (well, it's possible!).
• He will get $800 per month reimbursement for using his personal vehicle. He can still use city vehicles for city business during, before and after the normal workday, when appropriate.
• He gets a term life insurance policy.