Village Manager on official 'medical leave' until he submits resignation in writing (WD) 7-30-04WEMEKDAY
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NORTH PALM BEACH COUNCIL MEETING 7/22/04
Village Manager on official `medical leave '
until he submits resignation in writing
Doug Smith resumes role as Interim Village Manager'
By Denise Jaegers
North Palm Beach
Councilmen met briefly before
the regular Council meeting last
Thursday, to address Village
Manager Dennis Redmond's
abrupt verbal resignation, which
took place during a special
meeting Monday, July 19. It was
decided Assistant Village
Manager Doug Smith would once
again assume the role of Interim
Village Manager, until Redmond
either changes his mind, or
formally resigns.
Redmond is officially on
s,nedical leave, as his employment
contract with the Village requires a
written resignation. Village
Attorney George Baldwin was
directed to send Redmond a letter
last Friday, asking him to submit
his resignation in writing, if he still
intends to follow through with what
he stated on record during
Monday's meeting.
Although a number.of residents
ostensibly upset about the Village
Manager resigning attended the
meeting., only three formally
addressed the council regarding this
issue during the public comment —
Manny Grinn, Lucia Traugott and
Judy Capone.
An extremely agitated Pat
Atwater approached Capone before
the meeting, however, making it
crystal clear she was not amused by
what she felt was a blatant attempt
to besmirch the Village Manager.
Manny Grinn suggested perhaps
Redmond would not have resigned
so abruptly, if council would have
kept him apprised of their
satisfaction level with his
perfonnance on the job every
couple weeks, on a personal basis,
rather than waiting eight months to
inform him he was "adequate."
Lucia Traugott was much more
blunt in her comments, accusing
the Public Safety Department of
"passing propaganda items on to
columnists for publication." Ms.
Traugott was obviously referring to
Judy Capone's column in the
WeekDay, attributing Redmond's
resignation to Capone's recent
editorials, "Thoughts to Share."
Judy Capone then had her turn
at the podium, reading from a
statement she had clearly spent
considerable time writing. "I have
never been an adversary of the
Village Manger," stated Capone,
who added she also was not
socially friendly with the Public
Safety Director, or any other
employee of the Village. .
CONTINUED ON PAGE 12. 1-
AFTER DEADLINE
Redmond officially
submits his
resignation
effective 8/2
After the meeting the Village
Council asked Redmond to resign
in writing as required by his
contract. Redmond formally
tendered his letter of resignation on
Wednesday saying he was leaving
the Village because of health
concerns and job related stress.
Redmond's resignation takes effect
on Monday
v
North Palm' Bead,'
Council Meeting
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
As Capone's three minutes of
time elapsed, Mayor Don Noel
suggested she submit her letter for
the record to the Clerk. "I believe
the Village Manager ' went on for
way more than three minutes
talking about me," protested
Capone, referring to Monday's
meeting. When a group of people
sitting in the back of the room
started booing and hissing for her
to sit down, Capone finally
relented, returning to her seat.
When they finally got to the
agenda items, council:
• Unanimously approved
and enacted second reading of an
ordinance adding a subsection to
allow the option of refunding
contributions made by a vested
terminated employee.
• Unanimously approved
and .enacted second reading of an
ordinance (Issuance of Alarm
System Permits) adding a clause
establishing a late fee for non -
renewal of alarm permits by their
due date.
• Unanimously approved
first reading of an ordinance
amending the NPBCC budget for
FY 2003-2004 to appropriate funds
in the amount of $2,000 for
Country Club Administration
overtime.
• Unanimously approved
first reading of an ordinance
amending the duties of the
Recreation Advisory Board by
deleting the requirement of making
recommendations to the Village
Council regarding Village
waterways.
• Unanimously adopted a
resolution authorizing an
agreement with Employers Mutual,
Inc. for third party administrative
services for the Village's medical,
dental, and FSA plans for Village