If Steve Berry is Over Worked perhaps he should cut back on his non City Volunteer work for REEF during the Work Week. Or perhaps he is not capable of doing the City Manager Job. Perhaps his ineptitude is prohibiting the City Clerk and Staff from getting the job done.
The City of Grand Terrace seems to be ready to be a continued support of excessive compensation for the City Manager Tom Schwab even after he has stopped working. He should go on Disability if he is unable to work. If he has medical insurance and has been working and been paid so much in addition to getting a Free House and Free Vehicles all those years he should have much more resources than the average citizen in GT and the City has done little for the Regular Citizen who will be paying Mr. Schwab.
The city should be concerned with meeting its contractual obligations and limiting expenses including the cost of the City manager's Employment Contract.
In addition, I think it is time that the City Council Open up for Competitive Application the Job of City Manager, and have the Applicants offer to Low Bid their Applications. Have them submit there resumes and what they are willing to accept as compensation and the best qualified and lowest cost contractor gets the job.
Personal Feelings should not be an issue. Tom Schwab has been milking the City of Grand Terrace and he seems to have trained the City Council to surrender the City's Resources to his bidding. Steve Berry has been trained and nurtured to do the same thing and he is being positioned to become Tom Schwab's Mini Me.
This is not in the best interest of the City. This is not the best interest of the City... No let the Clerks and Secretaries who do the real work in the City Split Schwab's Pay, and get rid of both Schwab and Berry and their fixation on City Party Days and self promotion and greed. We'd have a better city.
Pay off Schwab according to what ever the contract stipulates and be done with it. We are seeing how well going into DEBT has Benefited the City of Grand Terrace RDA... and the contracts and plans Schwab has brought to this city... Thanks but no thanks... lets not continue to reward this man for the "Service" of the past. Lets dust off the past and move forward.
Tom Schwab can sell his city purchased home even in today's market and live in Kansas for the rest of his life.
GT to decide city manager's role
Stephen Wall, Staff Writer
Posted: 12/07/2008 09:59:51 PM PST
GRAND TERRACE - The work situation of City Manager Tom Schwab is scheduled to be settled by the City Council on Tuesday night.
Schwab has not worked since June when he was hospitalized with a brain injury.
The council will discuss modifying Schwab's contract to take into account his medical condition.
Under the proposed employment agreement, the city would pay Schwab as apart-time consultant through June 30. His main responsibility would be to prepare the city's 2009-2010 budget, as well as perform other duties determined by acting City Manager Steve Berry.
Schwab would have no supervisory responsibility over other employees and would put together the budget in consultation with Berry and the city's finance director. Berry would have the final say in the budget that gets presented to the council for approval.
"It's very clear that Steve is in charge," Schwab said Friday. "I'll do anything he wants me to do because I'm going to be working for him."
Schwab, 51, would be paid $45,000 under the proposed contract. That amount, combined with the paid sick leave and vacation he has accrued during his 24 years of employment with the city, would equal his monthly compensation under his previous contract until June 30. His paid leave runs out at that time.
He now earns $14,900 a month, which equates to $178,800 per year.
Schwab would continue to receive medical insurance provided by the city.He would work from home as well as City Hall.
After June 30, the council will make a decision on Schwab's long-term future. "I think this is a nice transition," he said. "If things work out, then maybe I'll be able to continue on a part-time basis." The proposed contract reflects the council's direction given in closed session at its Nov. 18 meeting.
"We're trying to work with Tom and to help out our acting city manager,who is doing two jobs," said Mayor Maryetta Ferre. "We're planning to amend Tom's contract so it's beneficial to Tom and (to) relieve some of the pressure on Steve. We want this to be amicable to both parties and beneficial to the city."
