Council settles city manager issue

By TOM STANKARD

[email protected]

Bessemer - To settle the city manager issue Monday, the Bessemer City Council authorized signatures of the settlements for former City Manager Michael Uskiewicz and Margot Anderson.

At a Dec. 7 meeting, the council voted to buy out Uskiewicz's contract and appointed Anderson, the former Wakefield city manger, as his replacement, pending her acceptance.

Uskiewicz has since signed a contract for his severance package and Anderson has signed a contract to be interim city manager.

But a number of council members claimed they thought the contracts drawn up weren't valid. Also, Uskiewicz had not received his full severance package, which still made him a city employee, according to City Attorney Michael Korpela.

Over the course of several months, the council went into closed session multiple times to try and settle the issue.

Mayor Kathy Whitburn said at the March 21 meeting, the council unanimously approved settlement of the severance contract it entered with Uskiewicz for $30,000, and unanimously approved a settlement of $9,000 for the contract it entered with Anderson.

She said Uskiewicz and Anderson have both accepted the city's offer. Whitburn said the council's decisions were advised by Korpela and by Ray O'Dea, an area attorney who the council sought a second opinion from.

With the city council formerly authorizing the settlements, Whitburn said the matter is concluded.

"The council wishes them well in their future endeavors," she said.

Whitburn thanked Bessemer citizens and business members for their patience and support.

After emerging from closed session, Korpela said the city of Bessemer was served with a circuit court complaint from the Gogebic Solid Waste Management Authority.

At a March 7 meeting, the council agreed to pay the authority about $6,000 of the $88,811 in bond payments Bessemer allegedly owes the authority.

Linda Nelson, council member, told the Daily Globe the authority took out a bond when there were six members of the authority, including Bessemer. "Some time after that," Nelson said the city "switched over" to Eagle Waste and Recycling, of Eagle River, Wis., ultimately leaving the authority.

She said the authority is suing Bessemer because the authority believes Bessemer can't get out of the bond and still owes them $88,811.

Korpela said the city has 21 days to file an answer and he would do that on the city's behalf.

In other action, the council:

-Agreed to let the Bessemer Department of Public Works rent a street sweeper for no more than $7,500 for one month.

-Approved Trevor Jackovich's request for a key to use the Bluff Valley Park restrooms for the volleyball league.

-Approved a request from the Bessemer Fourth of July, Inc. to be a nonprofit organization.