HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015 10-07 Maplewood settles employee resignation agreement for $118,100 MAPLEWOOD REVIEW OCT 0 7 2015
Maplewood settles employee resignation agreement for $118,100
Erin Hinrichs and appealed the grievance to Farr was employed by the city ordination,a purchasing policy On Aug. 10, Farr appealed
Review staff arbitration. from Aug. 8,2005,until June violation,threatening another to the Minnesota Court of
In the interest of avoiding 6,2014.On March 3,2014,he employee and continually corn- Appeals,where Judge Jill Hal-
At the Sept.29 regular meet- additional legal fees, the city emailed a 24-point complaint plaining about other staff as brooks affirmed his argument.
ing,the Maplewood City Coun- agreed to pay Farr a total of about city manager Chuck Ahl proof of employee misconduct, Recapping Farr's initial
cil signed off on a settlement $108,000—the equivalent of to human resources.Ahl retired according to court documents. appeal, the unemployment-
agreement with Larry Farr,the one year's salary,plus benefits— later that spring.According to Upon applying for unemploy- law judge had upheld the city's
city's former building mainte- in exchange for a waiver of griev- court records,"some employees ment benefits,Farr was found claim, noting he "obstructed
nance supervisor. antes and a release and waiver speculated that Farr's accusa- to be ineligible because he was Maplewood's ability to move
The city terminated Farr's of all claims related to Farr's lions contributed to the timing let go for employee misconduct. forward productively by con-
employment June 6,2014,for employment and termination of of his departure." He appealed and the unemploy- tinuing to bring up issues from
employee misconduct.But the employment with the city.An Shortly after,the city termi- ment-law judge held a three-day the past" and had become "a
Metro Supervisory Group filed additional$10,000 will be paid to nated Farr's employment, cit- hearing, during which seven
a grievance on behalf of Farr Fowler Ditsch Law Firm. ing several instances of insub- witnesses testified. see Settlement on page 6
Farr argued in court tions I've had with the
Settlement... that he had the city's best League, I'm pleased to
interest at heart with his tell you this evening that
attempts"to help resolve the League has offered to
continued from page 1 lated the city's purchas- some real problems."And increase their amount of
ing policy by ordering a he countered that his vio- assistance to $54,000,"
significant disruptive new garage door from a lation of the purchasing Funk told the council.
force for Maplewood." vendor without seeking policy was an honest mis- "That does reduce the
Listing out some exam- any quotes ahead of time, take. city's financial exposure
plea of employee con- for an expense more than The Maplewood City on this agreement."
duct that factored into $10,000. Council held a closed The League's claims
his termination, court He also allegedly special meeting on Aug. manager, Darin Rich-
records show Farr vio- derailed six meetings, 31 to review the pro- ardson,told the Review,
some with other staff posed employee resigns- "This resolution really
members and some with lion agreement. Since it allows the parties to move
his supervisors,by bring- was approved at the Sept. forward."
ing up issues from the 28 regular meeting, the Asked how this settle-
past and complaining agreement will be for- ment might impact the
about items outside of his warded to the Minnesota city's relationship with
job description,according League of Cities,which the League,he indicated
to court records. has agreed to help cover the two were on good
Things came to a head the expense. terms.
on June 3, when Farr About a year ago, "Quite a few years ago
allegedly confronted his human resources direc- there were some issues,"
direct supervisor during tor Mike Funk said,the he said. "As far as now,
a routine meeting,threat- League had offered to everything is fine."
ening to take matters into pay$5,000 toward a set-
his own hands if the IT tlement. That amount Erin Hinrichs can be
director was not removed double to $10,000 reached at 651-748-7814
and reminding his super- two months ago, and and ehinrichs@lillienews.
visor"[The city manager] increased once more. com.Follow her at twitter.
is no longer here because "In some recent con- com/EHinrichsNews.
he wronged me." versations and negotia-