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MINUTES OF THE <br />ORONO SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING <br />Monday, January 4, 2021 <br />2:30 p.m. <br />_____________________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br />Page 1 of 10 <br /> <br />ROLL CALL <br />The Orono City Council met on the above-mentioned date with the following members present <br />in the chambers and via electronic means: Mayor Dennis Walsh, City Council Members Richard <br />Crosby, III, Matt Johnson, Aaron Printup and Victoria Seals. Representing Staff were City <br />Attorney Soren Mattick, Community Development Director Jeremy Barnhart, City Clerk Anna <br />Carlson, Finance Director Ron Olson, and City Administrator Dustin Rief (arrived after agenda <br />item 3). <br /> <br />Walsh called the special meeting to order at 2:30 p.m., followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. <br /> <br />AGENDA <br /> <br />1. DISCUSS THE EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT AND RESIGNATION OF THE CITY <br />ADMINISTRATOR DUSTIN RIEF <br /> <br />Attorney Mattick stated the Council has received Mr. Rief’s resignation and noted he does have <br />an employment contract which was forwarded to the Council. Mattick believes the first order of <br />business is a motion to accept the resignation and then they can talk about some of Mr. Rief’s <br />requests. <br /> <br />2. ACCEPT RESIGNATION OF CITY ADMINISTRATOR DUSTIN RIEF <br /> <br />Printup moved, Johnson seconded, to accept the resignation of City Administrator Dustin <br />Rief. Ayes: 5; Nays: 0. <br /> <br />Attorney Mattick said when he sent out the email regarding Mr. Rief’s resignation, there were a <br />couple of requests. The Council may recall the City paid $9,500 for moving expenses for Mr. <br />Rief and there was a term in the contract which stated each year he was with the City, a certain <br />amount of the $9,500 would be forgiven. However, if it was before a given amount of time, the <br />City would seek recoupment. Under the terms of the employment contract, given Mr. Rief’s <br />resignation in February 2021, the contract calls out a payback to the City in the amount of <br />$3,500. Mr. Rief has requested that the City forgive that $3,500 and Attorney Mattick stated that <br />will be the first item for the City to consider. He continued and said this may have gone away, <br />but Mr. Rief was looking to submit his resignation February 4, 2021 and stay on the payroll for a <br />couple of weeks using PTO. Attorney Mattick and Mr. Rief have discussed it and at this point, <br />Mr. Rief would submit his resignation effective February 4, 2021 and that gives him the 45 days <br />as contemplated by the contract. Attorney Mattick believes Mr. Rief can use a floating holiday <br />so his last day would be February 3, 2021. Under the City’s health insurance policy, the <br />insurance for Mr. Rief’s family is paid effective the first of the month and covers them through <br />February and Mr. Rief was trying to accomplish being insured through February. Come <br />February 4, 2021, the City would cash Mr. Rief out of all of his PTO and Attorney Mattick does <br />not have an exact number but believes it is around $119, and the item has been cleared up. <br />Before the Council is the $3,500 request regarding moving expenses.