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Home My WebLink About2006-239 Employment Agrmt - R. Goodpaster CITY OF ASHLAND Employment Agreement Interim Police Chief THIS AGREEMENT made and entered into this ~h day of May, 2006, by and between the City of Ashland ("City") and Ronald D. Goodpaster ("Employee"). R E C I TAL S: A. City desires to employ the services of Employee as Interim Police Chief of the City of Ashland; and B. It is the desire of the Mayor and City Council to establish certain conditions of employment for Employee; and C. It is the desire of the Council to (1) secure and retain the services of Employee and to provide inducement for Employee to remain in such employment for a period of up to 6 months, (2) to make possible full work productivity by assuring Employee's morale and peace of mind with respect to financial security; (3) to act as a deterrent against malfeasance or dishonesty for personal gain on the part of Employee; and (4) to provide a just means for terminating Employee's services at such time as Employee may be unable fully to discharge Employee's duties due to disability or when City may otherwise desire to terminate Employee's services; and D. Employee desires to accept employment as Interim Police Chief of Ashland. City and Employee agree as follows: Section 1. Duties. The city hereby agrees to employ Ronald Goodpaster as the Interim Police Chief of the City to perform the functions and duties specified in the job description for the position, and to perform such other legally permissible and proper duties and functions as the City Administrator, Mayor and/or City Council by a majority vote shall from time to time assign. The Interim Police Chief shall devote full time to the performance of his duties for the duration of interim appointment. Section 2. Term. A. Nothing in this agreement shall prevent, limit, or otherwise interfere with the right of the City to terminate the services of the Interim Police Chief at any time, subject only to the provisions set forth in this agreement. Page - 1 B. Employee is a PERS retiree and as such is limited to working no more than 1039 hours in a PERS eligible position. Employee agrees to remain in the employ of City until a successor Police Chief is appointed into the regular Frr position or for six months, whichever occurs first, and neither to accept other employment nor to become employed by any other employer until this termination date, unless the termination date is affected as otherwise provided in this agreement. C. In the event written notice is not given by the City to terminate this agreement at least thirty (30) days prior to the termination date, the City agrees to pay the balance of employee's rental housing costs for the month in which employment terminates to a maximum of $2,000. Employee shall not be entitled to the rent under this provision if termination of this agreement is because Employee has worked for six months or if termination is because of Employee's willful misconduct or conviction of a felony or conviction of a misdemeanor involving theft, dishonesty, moral turpitude, harassment or an offense resulting in the revocation of Employee's driver's license. D. In the event Employee wishes to voluntarily resign the position during the term of this agreement, Employee shall be required to give the City three weeks written notice of such intention, unless such notice is waived by the City Administrator with the approval of the Mayor and City Council. Employee will cooperate in every way with the smooth and normal transfer to the newly appointed individual. Section 3. Salary. Employee is a retiree in the PERS system and therefore will not be eligible for retirement contribution. City agrees to pay t;mployee a total monthly salary of $8,553/month which equates to the first step in the salary range for Police Chief ($6,843/month), plus a cash payment of 25% ($1,710) added to salary in lieu of health benefits and retirement contributions. Salary is being paid based upon a 160 hour work month. Salary shall be pro-rated for any partial month worked. Employee would be afforded the same Cost of Living Adjustment as may be accorded other Department Heads on July 1, 2006. Section 4. Automobiie Allowance. Employee's duties require that Employee shall have the exclusive use at all times during employment with the City of an automobile to carry out the business of the City. The City shall provide a vehicle or an automobile allowance of $350/month if the employee chooses to use his own personal vehicle for City business. Employee shall be responsible for paying for insurance, operation, maintenance and repairs of his personal vehicle. Section 5. Tools and Equipment. City agrees to provide ~he tools and equipment necessary for the Interim Police Chief to efficiently perform his duties. Uniforms, radio equipment, computer and protective equipment will be provided and maintained by the City. Page - 2 Section 6. Severability. If any part, term, or provision of this agreement is held by the courts to be illegal or in conflict with the laws of the State of Oregon, the validity of the remaining portions of the agreement shall not be affected and the rights and obligations of the parties shall be construed and enforced as if the agreement did not contain the particular part, term, or provision. Dated this ~ of ~ . 2006. ~~ Barbara Christensen, City Recorder ~ Accepted this 2L day of ~, 2006. ~~f)~ Ronald D. Goodpaster Page - 3 April 6, 2007 CITY OF ASHLAND SUBJECT: Letter of reference for Ron Goodpaster Ron Goodpaster was employed as the Interim Chief of Police from May 2006 to April 2007. While Ron carried the title of "Interim," Ron had all of the duties and responsibilities of the permanent Chief and was as committed to Ashland as he would have been as an employee of many years. Ron demonstrated exceptional leadership, communication, and management skills in his work. Ron's performance consistently demonstrated to be one of the most skilled Police Chiefs in Oregon, with strong technical and interpersonal skills Ron walked into a Police Department in turmoil in May 2006. The Department had faced a vote of "no confidence" in the previous Chief by the pol ice association, had controversy over performance of officers in several incidents, and had steadily eroded relationships with the community. Ron's work restored employee commitment to the City of Ashland, improved department performance, and improved community perception of the quality of police work performed by the City. While working in Ashland, Ron also updated several critical policies, provided much needed training to the department and its supervisory core, and began a transition from 'traditional' to community-oriented policing. Ron gained the trust of several of the Police Department's most vocal critics. Ron did not avoid issues, dealt with controversy, and handled conflicts in a honest, competent, and compassionate manner. In addition to his day-to-day work, Ron assisted the City in recruiting a permanent Chief of Police. In particular, Ron conducted a large portion of the on-site background investigation of our new Chief and worked closely with the new Chief prior to his arrival to ensure that issues and decisions supported the transition. This work was essential to the new Chiefs successful entry into our City. Ron's personal skills have also been very important to the City of Ashland. Ron has built excellent working relationships with the City Council, with me, and with the City's Executive Team. Ron has outstanding communication skills and an excellent sense of when to look for help or direction. Ron enjoys community relations and public speaking, and he has made a special effort to restore working relationships with other community institutions, such as the school district, Southern Oregon University, the Chamber of Commerce, and local service clubs. Last but by no means least, Ron has an excellent sense of humor and the ability to keep all work in perspective. Please contact me at (54]) 488-6002 if you would like to discuss Ron's performance with the City of Ashland. Sincerely, ~ /~..~~ ~:7;enn/ -- City Administrator ADMINISTRATION 20 East Main Street Ashland, Oregon 97520 www.ashland.or.us Tel: 541-488-6002 Fax: 541-488-5311 TTY: 800-735-2900 ~~,