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Local News

February 13, 2012

City council poised to replace CM

The Ada News

Ada — By Gene Lehmann

Editor

ADA – No stone was left unturned in an Ada City Council agenda likely to end the career of longtime city manager David Hathcoat on Monday.

Poised to remove the 15-year veteran from his post on Thursday evening, council members met for an hour in executive session to discuss Hathcoat’s future. When they emerged,  Ada Mayor Dick Scalf announced Hathcoat had tendered his resignation.

Since the agenda did not have an action item whereby the council could legally accept it, a special 5 p.m. meeting was arranged for Monday to accomplish the feat.

The agenda takes into account most predictable scenarios and gives council the ability to act — something it lacked Thursday.

Too, the agenda suggests an agreement between Hathcoat and the city may exist, thus giving Hathcoat the ability to end his service with the city, receive a severance package, and perhaps other financial benefits that would be important to a 58-year-old unemployed former city manager.

No details concerning the agreement were made public and Hathcoat’s letter of resignation was not released to reporters following Thursday’s session. Given the specified wording on Monday’s agenda, one wonders if a resignation letter actually existed Thursday night or if council and Hathcoat merely came to a verbal agreement on his exit.

Monday, council will go into executive session for the purpose of “discussing the resignation, termination, and/or suspension of David Hathcoat,” the agenda reads. Council will then reconvene in open public session for “discussion of and action on the acceptance of resignation … approval of resignation agreement between the city and Hathcoat … and authorize Scalf to execute said resignation agreement.”

Next, the council may have “discussion of and action on beginning removal (of Hathcoat) by giving him a written statement of the reason for removal as set forth” in the city’s charter.

The next item calls for “discussion and action on suspension of Ada City Manager.”

The agenda then calls for another executive session for the purpose of “discussing the employment of an interim/acting city manager or new Ada City Manager. When council again moves to open public session, it will discuss and act of “employment of interim/acting Ada City Manager or new Ada City manager; approval of contract with interim/acting Ada City Manager or new Ada City Manager; and authorization for (Scalf) to execute said contract.”

No reason for Hathcoat’s possible firing or resignation has been given.

Monday’s meeting will be held at city hall in the council chambers.

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