The question this story does not answer is whether Massey was fired or resigned. That's important because his severance agreement states that he is to be paid through March 31 EVEN IF he is terminated. That's on top of the 3 months severance he already was paid, and unused vacation/sick pay he is set to receive upon the end of his employment.
What the new city manager and city commissioners should be answering to the public is whether they plan to honor this agreement or fight it. I suppose they are considering those options now.
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9 comments:
Keep in mind that we do not have a "new" City Manager. We have an interim City Manager.
It might be fair to allow him to simply speak from where he is and not from where we were.
The tiff between the City Manager and the Commission is between Steve Archer and the current City Commission.
Even though Mr. Archer no longer works for the City of Arkansas City in that capacity, it not unreasonable to expect that he would avail himself to discuss the legality and ethics of his actions with Mr. Massey in a public forum. Your newspaper is a public forum.
Perhaps he should go on real-talk and share his rationale. Or, he could talk with the "Good Guys" at KSOK.
Either way, he is still enough of a public figure to stand accountable for his deeds. In fact, you would think a professional would want to clear the air and preserve his reputation and defend his integrity.
We have a call for Mr. Steve Archer. Calling Steven Archer to the phone. I think it's your public on the line. We'll put them on hold until you can pick up, sir.
I don't believe we can get answers from people no longer employed by the city. I am guessing that whatever else was in those separation agreements there was something requiring them to not talk bad about the commission. I mean, why bother with a separation agreement unless you are trying to get something out of it. The commission bought off those employees and the city manager. There can be no doubt.
Does it matter to anyone that Massey had only been employed for a little over two years with the city and according to his poorly written separation paperwork has over $20,800 in vaction, sick days, personal days and safety days.
Does it bother anyone that Massey and Archer signed the contract on Dec 6th but didn't mention it at the commissioners on Dec 7th at the commission meeting, or the work session on Dec. 16th. Only after the over $18,400 was electronically transfered that morning did they 'announce' his res. at the commission meeting on Dec 21st.
Now as any parent will tell you, they were trying to get away with something. They almost did.
January 18, 2011 10:53 AM
Archer and Massey have both declined comment. Wouldn't you?
January 18, 2011 1:22 PM
The commission did NOT know about the separation agreements, they weren't buying anyone off, the city manager and the director of administration helped their friends and each other to hard earned tax maoney at will.
The commission knew full well about the City Manager's seperation agreement. That is what the earlier poster was talking about. They made the agreement to keep him from talking about them after he was gone. For a public organization, funded by our tax dollars, they seem to have a lot to hide.
those separation agreements
those employees.
Perhaps you should have read the blog more closely. Those meaning more than one.
The city commission is not the ones that asked for the "gag" order. They didn't want that, the city manager wanted it, and lawyers state that they are very standard.
The city attorney didn't know either about the Massey, Leach, or Baugher agreement, not the $$ amounts anyway. They avoided her office and were misleading about who and when the documents were prepared. So a lot of thought went into who to deceive and how.
The Interim City Manager is doing a great job.
Thanks for doing the hard work, with great professionalism. The staff I have talked say that you have a calming effect
He is really pleasant to the public as well.
There is so much lying going on here it's ridiculous! I don't think these Commissioners even know the truth anymore! When you start lying about everything you have to keep it going with more lies.
I seem to remember years ago when Mr. Massey was constantly in the paper for bringing in one grant after another for this community! Does no one care that over the years he worked for Ark City that he brought in well more money than he ever made working here?
Come on people - quit pushing one good family after another out of this town.
Those separation agreements are public documents. Someone must have seen them. If the newspaper has not then they are falling down on their job.
The real question on them is did any attorneys look at them, or are they generic internet forms? If attorneys did work on them they should have put their name to the papers somewhere.
I thought commissioners were supposed to stay off of here.
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