Welcome to the board of commissioners special meeting, city manager employment agreement Michael Halfridge. Today is Tuesday, April the 21st, 2026. It is 2 p.m. City Clerk, would you call the role, please? >> Mayor Brooks, >> here.
Vice Mayor McGee >> here. >> Commissioner Pagarini >> here. >> Commissioner Dylan >> here. >> Commissioner Gavay >> here. >> All are present. >> Thank you. Public comment. Public participation is encouraged. If you are addressing the commission, step to the
podium and state your name and address for the record and the organization or group you represent. Please limit your comments to 5 minutes and do not include any topic on the agenda. Public comment on agenda items will be allowed when they come up. If you would like someone
at the city to follow up on a comment or question made at the meeting, you may fill out a comment card with the contact information and give it to the city manager. Comment cards are available at the back table in the commission chambers. Completing a comment card is
not mandatory. Do we have any public comment? with no public comment. First on the agenda is city manager employment agreement. >> Um do you want me to >> I'll go through it, mayor. >> Okay. Thank you.
>> Good afternoon, everyone. I just wanted to go through uh the draft agreement that was prepared. Um it is in your packet. I would just want to hit the highlights and answer any questions if you have any. There are a couple of blanks in the agreement that need to be filled out. The blanks are the date of
today's meeting, uh when uh the candidate will take office or his position as city manager. Other than that, uh we're going to need to fill in his um start date and uh the the three-year
completion or termination date of to this agreement. So again, this agreement is for three years. Um, the salary is set at $185,000 a year following a six-month of employment here at the
city. There will be a review by the um city commission. Um, if he meets the um if he satisfactorily completed those six months, then he's entitled to a raise to $190,000 a year. If you don't have that
evaluation within seven months of him being here, he automatically gets that $190,000. Um, he's going to receive the same benefits as all other city employees. He's going to be given vacation leave of 25 work days. He's going to be advanced
10 uh vacation work days uh for his initial year of employment. Those advanced vacation leave times would be charged against future vacation acrals. he is to receive uh the 100% of the health health, dental, vision insurance
premiums will be paid for him and his dependent. Uh the city will also pay for um long-term disability for him. The city will pay 100% of the term life insurance policy for him equal to his annual salary.
He'll be entitled to sick leave for 12 work uh days per calendar year. The city will be paying him a vehicle allowance of $600 per month. The city will be making a contribution towards his um retirement plan. Uh the city is agreeing
to budget $6,000 a year for professional official travel, conferences, and seminars. In addition, the city is going to be paying for uh professional dues and subscriptions. Um there is a termination provision in
the agreement. Um the termination provision on page four of six basically provides that um if he's um terminated without cause, he would be entitled to 20 weeks of severance pay. Um if he was terminated for cause, he would receive
no severance pay. Um there will be performance evaluations done. The first one at the six month mark and then annually thereafter. He is not going to be receiving any moving or relocation expenses. Uh the city is also going to be paying for his cellular te
telephone, his laptop computer and other technologies necessary for him to perform his duties. Um the city is going to maintain a blanket bond and liability insurance policy for him. The city will not be providing temporary housing. Um and then
the standard terms of the agreement that both parties work to negotiate this agreement as it currently reads and that um and one of the bigger ones he will um adhere to MA code of ethics is a condition of employment. So I think I've covered the top the big
topics but I'd be happy to answer any questions if there are any specific questions. >> Do we have any public comment? Bill Karn's uh 400 150th Avenue, Madira Beach. I want to personally thank uh
back to Chief Valk for all his hard work during this uh transition period. I greatly appreciate all the assistance that he gave me throughout several of the projects that we're doing. I appreciate it. I just want to welcome Mike uh to the city. I think it's going
to be a great addition. Thank you very much. >> Do we have any additional public comment? >> With no public comment, it'll come back to the commission. Um I would like to just start off by saying that after having conversations with Mike um and
knowing where he is at in starting that my recommendation on this contract is that he will start tomorrow morning. will be his start date. >> Any other comments? >> Uh I I have no problem with any of the
content. I just I found what either either I don't understand the sentence or there's a typo. Uh in page four section B section 7 suspension termination and ser uh A charter process and due process
hearing. The BOC may suspend remove or terminate manage in accordance with article 5 section 5.4 Before the city charter, any due process or name clearing hearing shall be conducted in accordance with the charter. Nothing in this agreement shall be construed to limit or impair the authority of the
under the charter. Does BOC go in there? >> Yes. >> Okay. And then the other one is item B in the same section. Uh in the event manager is terminated by a majority vote of the during the term I assume that's BOC as well. >> Correct. >> Okay. Those are the only two things that
I found. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Any additional comments? >> I had a couple things in terms of I thought when we were looking at this, I thought I believe that there was some concern about him not being uh an
existing city manager and you wanted to have a three-month um hearing as opposed to the six-month. And if it isn't, I'm fine with that one way or the other. But it's just as I recall I recall hearing that. Also, I had heard about him coming
on tomorrow and I was kind of concerned. I'd like to get to know him first, but then lo and behold, I got the email yesterday that he wants to have a one-on-one. So, and and starting tomorrow. So, I'm I'm completely on board with all of this. I just wanted to
get that. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. Um just a quick question. How consistent is this uh contract with other city managers contracts on the beaches? Who prepared this contract and
how consistent is this with the rest of the >> So, this is Robin Gomez's contract with some um tweaks to it. Um but um it's no no different than in the general sense of any other agreement that I've
prepared in the past. As for what's happening up and down the beaches, I did not compare it to the other city manager contracts on the along the beaches. >> Okay. So, after 6 months, um, we can evaluate
Michael's position and I'm sure it's going to be okay. I mean, I don't have any doubts, but so after 6 months, if if he is good, we're going to increase the salary to 190. But what if we're not satisfied and happy at that at that time? in six
months, then then what would be the situation? >> Well, he either remains at the 185,000 or you could come to a decision as to whether or not you want to terminate him. So, if you terminate him without cause, he's entitled to 20 weeks of
severance pay. If you terminate him for cause, he's he doesn't receive any severance pay. >> So, 190 is not automatic then. >> No, >> it is not an automatic. Okay. Thank you.
>> I personally want to thank Mike for uh coming in. Uh looking forward to working with you. Um I I don't have any comments at this time. >> Then do we have a motion?
>> I already said something. I make a motion to approve the contract for Mike Heckle as the agreement is stated >> with a start date. >> With a start date tomorrow if he's good with it. >> He is good with it.
>> Do we have a second? >> City clerk, would you call the role, please? >> Commissioner Dylan, >> yes. >> Vice Mayor McGee, >> yes. Commissioner Gavayagi, >> yes. >> Commissioner Taglerini, >> yes. >> Mayor Brooks, >> yes.
>> The motion carried five to zero. Thank you. >> So, we did not have any we did not have any public comments. So, I would like to take this time to thank you, Clint, for sitting in the chair
>> all these months and working for the commission and the city and all of the employees. And I'd also like to take the opportunity to tell you happy birthday. >> Thank you. >> If anybody doesn't know, his birthday is Friday. >> This is a a great birthday present. >> Yeah.
>> I'm happy to send you back across the street. >> I'm I'm happy to go back. >> I know that they are happy to have you back. >> Yeah. So, thank you again for all that you've done for us. >> Anything else that anyone would like to say? >> Then it is 213. We're adjourned.