New Smyrna city manager put on leave

June 27, 2006

New Smyrna city manager put on leave

By MELANIE STAWICKI AZAM
Staff Writer

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- In an abrupt leadership change, City Manager Frank Roberts will relinquish his duties today, while Assistant City Manager John Hagood picks up the reins for the next six months.

At a special meeting Monday afternoon, City Commissioners unanimously voted to put Roberts on administrative paid leave immediately until Sept. 30, followed by six months of severance pay, which is in his contract. Roberts earns $107,494 annually.

Hagood, 55, was appointed as interim city manager for the next six months at Roberts' current pay rate. The commission also agreed to pursue a search, limited to the Central Florida area for new city manager candidates.

The commission decision differed from what Roberts had originally proposed. He said at a June 8 meeting that he wished to retire at the end of December, due to ongoing health problems. But the commission seemed to believe an earlier transition was needed, saying it would cause the least trauma to staff and get Roberts, who has been with the city 20 years, resting at home.

"Mr. Roberts needs to go home," said Vice Mayor Lynne Plaskett. "He needs to be home with his family, he's in pain."

After announcing his impending retirement in May, Roberts, 54, was on leave for about a month, following emergency gall bladder surgery May 12. His main health problems -- which prompted his decision to retire -- involved nerve damage and constant, severe pain resulting from a case of shingles, a viral infection similar to chicken pox, he suffered from several years ago.

Further, Plaskett said in a letter the city manager sent to commissioners, he mentioned his plans to leave would "enable an orderly process with minimal trauma to an agency that is under significant trauma already." The reference to trauma at the city troubled her, she said, and she wanted to minimize the uncertainty at the city.

Commissioner Jack Grasty said the reference to "trauma" at the city also bothered him.

Roberts simply said "the turmoil that's out there is predicated on a number of reasons."

As for his retirement notification, Roberts said he gave the city plenty of advance notice, "because I felt it was the professional thing to do."

He wanted to leave at the end of year to resolve personal family matters that needed some extra time to wrap up. If he had known the commission would have reacted this way, he'd have done things differently, he said.

"I would think after 20 years, I would at least get that consideration," Roberts said. "But if not, I think I at least did what I thought was right."

City Commissioner Jim Hathaway asked if Roberts would be willing to stay on until year's end as a consultant if the city needed him. Roberts said the city is his home and he would help however he could. The commission also agreed to let him keep a city computer at his home.

Then, Grasty made the motion to put Roberts on leave, Plaskett seconded it and the vote was unanimous. Roberts left at the end of the meeting, choosing not to stay for the subsequent special commission meeting.

melanie.stawicki@news-jrnl.com