Reverberations of the Ketchum fire chief's departure last month are still being felt throughout City Hall.
Mayor Randy Hall announced Tuesday, May 9, that all new department heads will be hired with an employee contract.
"This will accomplish many objectives, one of which will be to establish clear and measurable criteria by which to evaluate job performance," Hall said in a news release.
The policy shift comes on the heels of the contentious separation of Greg Schwab from the city's payroll.
The City Council authorized on April 20 a $100,000 payment to Schwab and placed him on unpaid administrative leave with benefits until Oct. 20, 2006.
The resolution to make the deal says Schwab's resignation was "voluntary."
In an interview on April 25, however, Schwab said he was "pushed out," and maintained that Hall's dual positions with the city—as a volunteer firefighter and mayor—creates a "conflict of interest" that "undermines the authority of the fire chief to make key decisions."
Council President Baird Gourlay served as acting mayor in place of Hall during the discussions about Schwab.
Hall said it's not typical policy to respond to personnel matters.
"However, due to statements made by ex-Fire Chief Greg Schwab, I believe a statement is appropriate," he said in the release.
"As mayor I did not participate in any executive sessions regarding the personnel matter of Greg Schwab," the news release says. "Therefore, I cannot speak directly to the negotiations and I have no personal or public agenda relative to this issue."
Hall stated in the release that two of the four City Council members who made the agreement with Schwab are retired city employees and are "uniquely qualified to make a decision of this magnitude, and I support their decision."
Hall also pointed to conflict resolution attempts made among the City Council a few years ago. The program cost the city thousands of dollars.
"It morphed into the Fire Department going," Hall said by phone Tuesday. "I voted against (the allocation) for my own reasons."
The policy regarding contracts will begin with new hires, Hall said.
Currently, only City Administrator Ron LeBlanc works under a contract.
"He asked for it," Hall said. "I thought it was a reasonably good way for us to have a clear understanding of what our expectations are of him and what his expectations are of us. I think that's prudent."
Schwab was hired by the city of Ketchum as assistant fire chief in February 2001. He was named fire chief in August 2002.
