PORT TOWNSEND — The City Council has approved an employment contract for City Manager David Timmons that is expected to be in effect until his 2018 retirement.
The contract, which was signed after a special meeting Monday, was approved on a 5-1 vote with council members Pamela Adams, Catharine Robinson, Michelle Sandoval, Deborah Stinson and Mayor David King voting in favor and Councilman Bob Gray opposed.
Deputy Mayor Kris Nelson was not present.
Timmons, 62, has told the council he plans to retire when he turns 66 in December 2018.
“That is slightly less than four years from now,” Timmons said in a memo to council.
“Or to look at it another way, 94 regular City Council meetings.”
Gray said his opposition to the contract was not personally directed at Timmons, whom Gray praised for his job performance, but due to a provision that provides Timmons with a year’s salary and benefits should he be terminated.
Timmons’ annual salary is $130,050, which is unchanged from his current pay.
“This is nothing personal, but we need to put ourselves in the place of the employer,” Gray said.
“This is a poor city, and we don’t have lots of reserves, and although there is a 99.9 percent chance against [termination] happening, it could cost the city about $200,000 in a termination proceeding.”
In a discussion at the meeting, Timmons said a one-year-or-more severance plan was common in California and Texas.
Gray said he favored a six- or nine-month agreement that would save the city money.
While the contract is now signed with the one-year provision, Timmons said he would consider a modification.
“I’m willing to negotiate this in good faith,” he said at the meeting. “But not tonight.”
One change from the current contract is the city’s providing a vehicle allowance rather than a city-owned vehicle for Timmons’ use, a change Timmons requested.
This change will take effect no later than June 30, according to the contract.
The contract gives Timmons the ability to determine his own work schedule that “shall be appropriate to the needs of the employer and shall allow employee to faithfully perform his assigned duties and responsibilities.”
The new contract also calls for annual performance evaluations, ending the pattern of sporadic evaluations conducted during Timmons’ tenure so far.
An evaluation was completed in December, with the previous evaluation in 2008.
Timmons was hired in 1999 after voters approved changing to a council-manager form of government, becoming Port Townsend’s first city manager.
King praised Timmons, singling out his establishing of the public development authority prior to discussions about the Fort Worden Lifelong Learning Center, “so there was something already in place to deal with these issues when they arose.”
“I am glad that David has been our one and only city manager,” King said. “We’ve relied on his creativity on many occasions.”
“It’s not like we are dealing with someone who is unknown or someone who we think we will end up firing,” Sandoval said.
“After 15 years, we have never come close to where we had to have a discussion about a severance package.”
After the vote, Gray repeated that his opposition to the contract was nothing personal, which Timmons acknowledged.
“I’m happy with the results and looking forward to continuing on,” Timmons said Wednesday.
He said his immediate goals for the city are to build a water treatment plant, extend Howard Street, develop a succession plan and finish the comprehensive plan.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
