Committee to again discuss city manager

Discussion

February 17, 2013

Committee to again discuss city manager

By BRAD KELLAR Herald-Banner Staff The Herald-Banner Sun Feb 17, 2013, 05:14 AM CST

GREENVILLE — A Greenville City Council committee will be talking Tuesday about the contract of City Manager Steven Alexan-der.

It is the second time in a week, and at least the third time in four months, that Alexander’s contract has been the source of discussion by the Council. All of the meetings have been conducted in closed door executive sessions, although no action has been taken concerning the contract.

The Human Resources and Insurance Committee is set to meet at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday in the Municipal Building, 2821 Washington Street.

As was the case during this past Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Alexander’s contract is to be addressed in executive session under Section 551.074 of the Local Government Code, Tuesday’s meeting includes an executive session under Section 551.074 of the Texas Government Code, which allows the committee “to deliberate the appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline, or dismissal of a public officer or employee; or to hear a complaint or charge against an officer or employee.”

The committee is made up of Council members Dr. Joe Perks, Velma Del Bosque-Hobdy and Renee Francey. As the committee does not make up a quorum of the Council, no action can be taken following the executive session.

Alexander’s contract was also to be addressed in executive session during a meeting of the Council in October 2012.

The Council voted in April of last year to amend Alexander’s employment agreement, to where it would take five members of the Council, rather than four, to terminate the contract.

The Citizens Charter Review Committee last week recommended the addition of a new section, “General Definitions” to the Charter, which would specify that in terms of voting, a majority of the Council would be four out of the seven members, a “simple majority” would mean one more than half of the Council members present during a meeting and a “super majority” would be five of seven Council members.

Under the proposed Charter, it would take a majority vote of the Council to remove the City Manager, City Secretary, City Attorney or Municipal Judge.