Kerry resigns as S. Lake Tahoe city manager
By Kathryn Reed
It’s official – Nancy Kerry is no longer city manager of South Lake Tahoe.
“We’ve accepted the resignation of Nancy Kerry effective immediately,” Mayor Wendy David said after emerging from about a 30-minute closed session meeting on March 6 at 6:05pm.
Nancy Kerry
Kerry told Lake Tahoe News, “I’ve really enjoyed the 10 gratifying years in the city tackling unique and complex issues. I’m really proud of what we accomplished as a team.”
Asked why she resigned, Kerry would only say, “With all due respect, I am committed to leaving the city on the highest road possible. The city and I came to a respectful agreement.”
It was a somber mood in council chambers when it was opened to the public. Council members Tom Davis and Jason Collin ducked out of the meeting via the side door, not staying for the announcement.
No one would talk to Lake Tahoe News, the only media outlet who was there for the announcement, so it is not known what the vote was – unanimous or divided.
David and acting City Manager Jeff Meston retired to his office at City Hall. He retains that title. It will be up to the council to decide how to go forward with replacing Kerry on a permanent basis.
Kerry’s departure has been clouded in speculation for more than a month. It started with the illegal hiring last fall of someone to study the culture of the city, which turned into an illegal review of Kerry.
Then she was placed on leave a month ago. On Tuesday it all came to an end. Still, though, the public is left wondering what really happened.
The settlement calls for Kerry to receive her nine month’s severance ($176,321) which her contract stipulated if she were let go without cause. She is also owed 339 hours of vacation leave and 520 hours of sick leave.
Had Kerry truly left on her own volition, this payment would never have occurred. Had there been actual cause for the separation in employment, Kerry would not have received any of this money either.
In some ways, the taxpayers are getting off cheap because Kerry could have sued the city on several allegations. Just the protracted litigation would have been costly.
The settlement states that Kerry cannot file “any claim against [the] city based on, or related to acts or events taking place on or before the effective date of this agreement. Employee understand that by making the above waivers and releases she has forever surrendered every claim, complaint, allegation of misconduct or cause of action of any kind or nature, whether known or unknown, suspected or unsuspected, at the time of the effective date of this agreement.”
The council as a whole and individually are the city manager’s boss. That means the city manager is covered by labor laws like any other employee. So if one of the councilmen called a city manager “mommy” or made comments about clothes, weight or other appearance issues, the city manager would be able to sue for harassment or hostile work environment at a minimum.
Those accusations told to this reporter by community members/city staff will now not see the light of day and the people responsible not held accountable.
WOW!
This is very graceful of Ms. Kerry. Class act.
Thank you for your years of great service Nancy. We will miss you but we know that you will go on and do more great things! I am glad everyone took the high road here.
A great loss for the city’s growth and development.
Thank You Nancy for all you have done for our city. Our city is loosing an amazing leader.
What a bunch of unadulterated, spineless clowns to let someone like Ms. Kerry go, someone who has selflessly served South Lake Tahoe so well for so many years! Shame on you and what you call your “government.” She should have sued!
Sad day for the City. Nancy’s hard work and vision will be missed.
Thank you, Nancy for your leadership and service to the City for all these years. Let’s hope the council does not squander what you have achieved.
Thank you Nancy Kerry for your diligent and responsive management of our City. Thank you for showing the Council what “class management” is during this unfortunate and embarassing debacle, and for taking the high road of respect. Wishing you the career future you deserve with an employer who appreciates your wisdom and leadership abilities!
So sad. Nancy has done so much for this community and is a wonderful human being. I wish her nothing but the best. I hope the city of SLT is paying close attention to how this process has unfolded, and remembers that process clearly when election time comes around. Don’t vote some members of this council back in to do more damage to this city in the name of thier egos.
Thank-you Ms Kerry for your hard work and devotion to our City. I did not always agree with your decisions but I always respected your work.
So many well stated comments here! Nancy is a CLASS act! Our community needs to keep this debacle in the forefront of our minds as elections draw near. I like so many others feel there is way more to this story in how our beloved city manager was treated. Thank You Nancy for all you have done for our community.
City Hall lost a keeper.
Nancy will exceed beyond the teenie minds of City of SLT.
When I was on the council, I voted to hire Nancy Kerry, and certainty she has made contributions to our City.
The question is what caused the termination of her contract? We, the voters, the shareholders of this City, have been left in the dark about the circumstances that gave rise to this event. The only thing we know is that the settlement of the parties resulted in fulfilling the terms of Nancy’s contract where she received compensation based upon the “without cause” provisions.
Of course, we have been told that because this dispute involved employee matters, it must remain confidential. However, it also represents a cover-up and protects those on the Council and in the City from any claims of culpability leading to the termination of her contract.
This situation is not satisfactory. While we cannot change what has been done, we can certainty demand that the next contract with the next manager require that all discussions regarding performance be made in public and not behind closed doors.
We have the right to know.