Former utilities director gets $80k exit package
Former Greenport Village utilities director Jack Naylor, who was placed on administrative leave in August, will continue to be paid at his regular rate by the village through the end of February and is still owed over four months of sick time, personal leave and vacation leave, costing the village more than $80,000 in total.
According to the terms of his Sept. 20 agreement with the village, Naylor remains on paid administrative leave through Feb. 28 – when the resignation officially takes effect. At his regular rate of $52 per hour, the deal adds up to roughly $82,000.
Last month, the trustees voted unanimously to accept Mr. Naylor’s resignation.
Until the end of February, Mr. Naylor is required to be available, upon reasonable notice, expect in case of emergency to perform work-related duties consistent will his job description, the agreement states. He would be paid for his hour-and-a-half commute to the village should his services be needed, according to the document.
After February, he will continue to receive a village paycheck for 544.5 hours of accrued sick leave – over 13 weeks worth of pay – 149.5 hours of vacation, and 27 hours of personal leave at $52 per hour. The sum will be paid in three equal monthly installments on March 1, 2014, April 1, 2014 and May 1,2014, the agreement stated.
On Monday, Deputy Mayor George Hubbard said the agreement is typical when terminating a civil service employee.
“In those type of positions, it’s a standard package,” he said in a phone interview. “We wouldn’t want to have him coming into work. Projects weren’t getting done. It just wasn’t working.”
Mr. Naylor was first appointed in 2007, however the board has frequently expressed dissatisfaction with his performance in recent years.
In April 2012, Trustee Mary Bess Phillips proposed cutting Mr. Naylor’s one-year term in half because she had been unhappy with his oversight of the wastewater treatment and light plants. Members approved the shortened 180-day term by a 3-1 vote, with Mayor David Nyce casting the lone dissenting vote after failing to sway his fellow trustees to vote on a one-year reappointment.
The dispute appeared to be resolved in October 2012 when the mayor confirmed that Mr. Naylor would stay on as utilities director. In August, however, Mr. Naylor was put on paid leave of absence.
Former village utilities director, and outspoken critic of the administration William Swiskey called the move too little, too late on Monday.
“If he was that bad, why did they keep him for so long?,” he said. “In April they could have did away with the position at no cost. It’s the people’s tax dollars and it’s just gone.”
During Mr. Naylor’s leave of absence, employees of the utilities department are overseeing day-to-day operations, Mr. Hubbard said. Now that Mr. Naylor is out as director, there is a possibility the village may do away with the position, Mr. Hubbard said. The village will re-evaluate the position during April’s next reorganizational meeting.
