Greenfield considers city manager contracts

The Greenfield City Council considered contracts for City Manager Betty Bishop during the regular council session July 6. 

Council heard the first reading of a resolution authorizing the council chairwoman, Betty Jackman, to extend an employment agreement with Bishop, and a resolution to extend Bishop's interim city manager position. According to the latter resolution, "Last year, council of the city of Greenfield appointed Betty Bishop to the position of interim city manager. In conjunction with this appointment, the city of Greenfield entered into a month-to-month employment agreement, commencing Dec. 7, 2009 and lasting no more than 12 months, unless extended by a written agreement. As such it will expire on Dec. 7, 2010 ... (Since council) is in the process of passing legislation to drop Betty Bishop's 'interim' designation and enter into a new two-year employment agreement with her as city manager" ... Bishop's new two-year agreement will begin on Jan. 1, 2011, if passed. 

Council member Harvey Everhart asked why the legislation extending the interim contract was necessary, and why the other legislation had to be for a period of two years, instead of leaving the contract open-ended, as council had decided in June. 

Kerry Boyle, an attorney who works at the same law firm as Greenfield Law Director Brian Zets who was attending in place of Zets Tuesday, said that it was not advisable to have contracts open-ended, and that in the long run it would be better for the city as well as the city manager. 

Boyle said that extending the interim contract was necessary that way there is not a gap between Dec. 7 and Jan. 1 where the city would not have an official city manager. 

"That makes perfect sense to me," said council member Brenda Losey. 

"Shouldn't that have come back to council, to change what was decided in June?" Everhart asked. 

"It is before council now," Boyle said. "I had assumed is was discussed prior to the meeting."

Everhart said there was no discussion and that was leading to the confusion. 

Council member Bob Bergstrom made a motion to accept the resolution on the city manager contract, which was seconded by Jackman. Bergstrom, Jackman, Losey and council member William Redenbaugh voted to accept the resolution, and Everhart voted against it. 

As the legislation was not written as an emergency, no further action was taken on the matter. 

Bergstrom made a motion council accept the other resolution, to extend the interim city manager contract, which was seconded by Jackman. Council accepted the legislation 4-1, with Everhart voting against it.