Report to Mayor and City Council
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
Discussion
SUBJECT:
Title
COST AND EXPENSES INCURRED BY THE CITY IN CONNECTION WITH THE FORMER CITY CLERK JIM DEAR (CITY COUNCIL)
Body
I. SUMMARY
This item is on the agenda at the request of Mayor Pro Tem Lula Davis Holmes. She has asked for a full status report and accounting on all costs and expenses incurred by the City in connection with the former City Clerk Jim Dear during the last year. The detailed items reported on in this staff report are specified by her and other council members.
In short, the total cost and expenses incurred by the City in connection with the former City Clerk is approximately $805,000 as detailed below.
II. RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
RECEIVE and FILE this report.
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III. ALTERNATIVES
TAKE such other action as the City Council deems appropriate consistent with the requirements of law.
IV. BACKGROUND
This report discusses in detail the accounting of cost and expenses incurred by the City in connection with the former City Clerk.
1) Investigation/Censure proceedings of Jim Dear: In summer of 2015 over 13 current employees filed written or oral complaints against the former City Clerk Jim Dear for racial animus, creation of a hostile workplace and other acts of mistreatment of both City employees and non-employees. The City Manager was required by law to conduct a formal investigation into these allegations and claims otherwise the employees would have had a claim against the city for failure to investigate these claims. In August of 2015, outside investigator/attorney Maria K. Aarvig, Esq., was retained and commenced an investigation into the complaints. She conducted a thorough investigation effort which necessitated an amendment to her contract in light of approximately 10 more former and current employees coming forward with similar complaints. Towards the end of September after the conclusion of her investigation, several public hearings and ...
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