INDIAN ROCKS BEACH – The Indian Rocks Beach City Commission jousted over contract provisions Tuesday night for Al Grieshaber, the interim city manager, and it all came to no decision.
At least for now.
Grieshaber was hired last summer on an interim basis and was hired in December pending the completion of salary negotiations that were to be completed by the end of January.
That time element was extended until February 8 so the commission was right at the wall with Tuesday night’s session.
Andy Salzman, the city’s lawyer, had drawn up a contract for Grieshaber’s consideration that contained standard provisions, some extrapolated from the contract that Tom Brobeil had.
Grieshaber made a counter-offer to that, asking for an annual salary of $102,500, a super majority vote to fire him, a $2,000 a month housing allowance and other benefits.
The commission had parameters of $70,000 to $100,000 on the salary.
Grieshaber left the dais when the commission lurched into an hour and 15 minute discussion of Grieshaber’s demands. The point by point discussion resulted in a downgrading of what Grieshaber wanted.
The commission offered a salary of $84,000, no monthly housing allowance, no super majority on firing, a lowered separation package, a diminished retirement contribution, to hit the high spots.
Salzman took the city’s re-writing of the contract to Grieshaber who awaited in his office. Salzman was back about 30 minutes later with the report that Grieshaber wanted a one-week extension on his current work status and sent word via Salzman that he would contemplate the city’s terms in that period of time.
The commission quickly and unanimously agreed to that proposition.
There was a candidates flavor to the meeting. There were seven candidates in the audience, plus the incumbents – Mayor Bill Ockunzzi, and Commissioners Jean Scott and R.B. Johnson – sitting on the dais.
If any of the incumbents are removed the commission will lose its distinction of having a membership made up of all landlords.
One amusing sidelight occurred during the meeting when Commissioner Jeremiah Carmody was relating a footnote to the history of Tom Brobeil’s tenure of the city.
Carmody’s tale told of how Brobeil’s stay in Indian Rocks Beach was merely a stepping stone to other other jobs.
This brought a spontaneous and sudden whirling of heads toward each other of two former commissioners sitting in the audience.
Both expressed the view, in the strongest terms, that Carmody’s assertions had no resemblance to the truth.
Carmody’s ramblings were obiter dicta. He is not a candidate to keep his seat.