Kerbel Offered Interim Manager Job Over Hoxsie
Unless the Narragansett Town Council is unable to reach an agreement with Richard Kerbel, he will take over as interim town manager from Narragansett Police Chief Dean Hoxsie.
NARRAGANSETT - About an hour after he received a standing ovation from residents, the Narragansett Town Council voted 3-2 to essentially remove interim town manager Dean Hoxsie from the position.
In his place, the council appointed Richard Kerbel as interim manager, which elicited a mixture of surprise and laments from the crowd of about 80 that stayed until the end of Monday night's meeting.
As councilors hastily voted to adjourn the meeting moments after the vote, one person from the stunned crowd yelled, “You should be ashamed,” which was preceded and followed by murmuring and light booing.
The appointment is contingent on Kerbel reaching agreement on a contract with the town, but that appears to be a formality based on comments by the council and Kerbel's presence at Monday's meeting.
Kerbel did not speak at Monday’s meeting.
Councilors James Callaghan, Susan Cicilline-Buonanno and Douglas McLaughlin voted in favor of Kerbel, with Glenna Hagopian and Matthew Mannix voting against. McLaughlin was the only councilor to not speak about his or her vote.
At Monday’s meeting, residents questioned everything from Kerbel’s qualifications for the job and past work history, to the timing and manner in which Hoxsie was being replaced, to why the town was hiring another interim town manager instead of choosing one of four candidates suggested by a search committee.
Regarding a full-time and permanent manager hire, Callaghan said that the council could not unanimously agree on one candidate, which was a sticking point for at least one candidate for the job.
Mannix said he was frustrated with that hiring process, which was conducted in executive session. He shed some light on it, mentioning that he was holding back some details in an attempt to not violate the bylaws of executive sessions.
“Hoxsie was a finalist, along with three others,” he said, adding that Hoxsie initially didn’t qualify for the town manager job.
“The committee members clearly chose to override the qualifications [for the job],” he said. “I consistently told people that I was going to keep an open mind … As I evaluated candidates, it became clear that Chief Hoxsie was qualified for this opening.”
He added, “Sometimes in life and politics, the facts on the ground change, and we have to be nimble to adjust to those changes.”
In discussing Kerbel’s interest and qualifications for the job, both Callaghan and Mannix noted that he was not one of the four candidates for the full-time manager spot, nor was he in the batch of 100 candidates screened by a search committee.
“I had heard his name before, through my wife,” Callaghan said, mentioning that although she had worked with him in North Kingstown, he did not consider it a conflict. Callaghan added that he had reached out to two former North Kingstown councilors, and he was confident Kerbel would do a good job.
According to Kerbel’s resume, which was provided before Monday’s meeting on ClerkBase, he most recently served as the interim town manager of Bridgewater, MA from April 2012 to December 2012, and he is a lecturer at Brown. He is a resident of North Kingstown.
Prior to his job in Bridgewater, Kerbel was the interim finance director of Providence from January 2011 to September 2011, and the city’s director of administration from January 2008 to January 2011.
Before his positions in Providence, Kerbel was town manager of Coventry from August 2006 to August 2007, and of North Kingstown from July 1993 to July 2006.
However, Kerbel’s work in Providence drew the most criticism from members of the crowd, with several citing articles from The Providence Journal suggesting that Kerbel was part of the problem in underestimating a huge budget gap created by then-Mayor David Cicilline.
Several residents also questioned whether Callaghan and Cicilline-Buonanno could even vote on Monday’s motion to replace Hoxsie, claiming that both had conflicts of interest.
However, Cicilline-Buonanno said that even though Kerbel worked for several years for her brother, she had never met the man before Monday.
“I’m embarrassed, I feel a little accused of having met him,” she said. “I want to do the right thing for the town, and I think he’ll do a great job … I think we need to get on with the business of the town, and we need a manager to settle that.”
Meg Rogers, the head of the town’s Republican committee, chastised councilors for putting aside the work of its search committee for the town manager job.
“It defies credulity that in just a few weeks, you have done the work that took the selection committee months,” she said. “The process that brings this candidate here tonight doesn’t pass the smell test.”
The council did not advertise the interim town manager position, which most likely pays out at a similar rate to a full-time manager – about $150,000 per year, depending on the level of experience of the candidate and their workload for the town.
Since Hoxsie was also serving as police chief in addition to town manager, with additional pay for his new duties, presumably the hiring of Kerbel would lead to additional expenses for the town.
Mannix said that he didn’t understand the rush to replace Hoxsie.
“I’m not in favor of replacing one interim manager with another,” he said. “The process regarding this choice? Rushed … I think Chief Hoxsie can remain in his position and I see no rush to remove him.”
Hagopian spoke in support of Hoxsie, both for the full-time and interim job.
“I can’t remember another point in my tenure when I didn’t receive one complaint about something in town,” she said. “Unfortunately, this council appears to want to go in a different direction.”
She added, “I can’t support hiring a new interim town manager … I just think this is more dirty politics.”
In support of Kerbel, Callaghan mentioned that the search for a new manager had hit a “plateau,” and he felt that the town needed someone with more of a financial background than Hoxsie.
“He has crafted budgets and negotiated contracts for decades,” Callaghan said of Kerbel. “If appointed, I think he will do a fine job.”
Regarding the selection of Kerbel as a candidate, Callaghan said, “If it doesn’t work out, then there’s no one to blame but me. I alone contacted him … Obviously, this is a very hard choice, and it strikes a nerve in the town.”
Citing an unnamed source, Rogers claimed that the parents of Callaghan had put forward Kerbel as a candidate to replace Hoxsie. She said the actions Monday night were attempting to capitalize on the unpopular decision by Hagopian and the previous council to replace the previous town manager.
If the council is unable to reach a contract agreement with Kerbel, presumably, Hoxsie would be retained as the interim town manager. However, this and other contingencies were not discussed at Monday’s meeting.
In June 2012, the previous town council voted to accept a severance package agreed upon with Town Manager Grady Miller by a 4-1 margin, in effect firing him.
The September election saw McLaughlin, Callaghan and Mannix take the seats of two of the “yes” votes, David Crook and Alisa Trainor Fleet. Former councilor Christopher Wilkens, who voted for the package in order to avoid a court case as opposed to any dissatisfaction with Miller, ran unsuccessfully for a state office.
Miller, thanks to accrued vacation and sick time, and his severance agreement reached with the town, is being paid through April 2013.
After Kerbel was selected at Monday’s meeting, it was quickly adjourned. There was no talk amongst council members of what the next step will be in hiring a full-time manager.
Resident Carol Stuart said she wasn’t sure what the council’s plan was going forward.
“Where do you go from here? Is he going to be here for three months, six months, if he’s approved? What’s the future?”
She added, “I think you have a terrible dilemma on your hands. I just wish you well.”
Tim
7:22 am on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
You get the government you vote for.
Shame on the Narragansett voters for empowering that council.
Ted Geisel
3:20 pm on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Very well said Tim.
William Krupke
10:39 am on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
It appears that the Narragansett Town Council continually seems to set qualifications for top level positions within the town, and then relaxing them to fit certain candidates for the position. Mr. Kerbel certainly has the degree requirements, qualifications and experience to fill this position.
Phil
1:05 pm on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
So James Callaghan believes the best person to oversee Narragansett's finances is the guy who stonewalled the firefighter contract in Providence and helped cover Ciccilline's misrepresentations over the financial crisis. He has two puppets now who will vote along w/him. It's going to be a terrible and long two years. DIsgusted.
I'm Tired of the Games
2:47 pm on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Phil:
If he cooks the books as well as he did in Providence, Narragansett will be on the verge of bankruptcy by the time he leaves. Boy are they laughing in North Kingstown and Coventry at this appointment. What are these three Counselors thinking? If they needed a numbers cruncher on an interim basis, they should have rolled out Otis Wyatt again!
Lauren
5:12 pm on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
I'm no rocket scientist but, check out Coventry's problems with vastly underfunded pensions...this didn't happen overnight. Some of it must have been on Kerbel's watch. Why throw Mr. Hoxsie under the bus for a job well done? And to spend more $$$$$ for no benefit to the taxpayer, that's just irresponsible.
Darren
8:14 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Lauren, I did a little fact checking and Coventry's pension problems had nothing to do with Kerbel. They were caused by legacy union contracts that allowed police officers to retire at 1/2 of their last year's earnings (give the overtime hours to whoever is up for retirement i.e.: $60K salary plus $70K in overtime = $130K divide by 2 and voila! You have a $65K pension with a cola). If you look at the pension liability it rests with the Police Dept. They also enjoyed a perk called "Chief for a Day". Most of this info was brought to light with Freedom of Information Act requests.
Do we want the current Police Chief to negotiate unon contracts with a pension system that he is part of and the union he was a member of?
jim
7:41 pm on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
I find it odd that this new interim Town Manager comes out of the dark. Did the three council members look at the progress Chief Hoxsie has made in the town both in his leadership in the police department, and the town hall? Did they bother to look at the attitudes in all the happy employees in the town with Hoxsie taking over. I personally have spoke to several town employees and asked how things were with Chief Hoxsie in the managers position. All the answers were the same. They said he was a great person, manager and things were running smooth.
So I find it surprising that these three newly elected council members vote to hire another interim manager when they already have one in place doing a great job. And not to mention the cloud that is hanging over his head from other jobs he has lost.
Lets not forget that Chief Hoxsie knows the town of Narragansett better that any council member, or outsider that they decide to replace him with.
Simply put do you not realize what you have with Chief Hoxsie ? Well I can only wonder what the taxpayers will think about this STUPID move when it comes to election time. Good luck newly elected council members, you are off to a foolish start in a short time. I can assure you the Chief will have the last laugh.
LindaL
8:03 pm on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Well said Jim. STUPID being the operative word. We all know that he WILL have the last laugh! One of the thoughts I had was why did they not need 5 votes to hire an interim if this is required for a permanent position. Feels like the "good old boy" system at hand AGAIN.
Darren
8:00 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
The good old boy system would be better defined as bringing in an underqualified candidate to serve as Chief Executive of your town because everyone likes him and he is "one of us".
Big R
10:30 pm on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Happy to say I didn't vote for these four people that made this bone head move. I certainly miss the old council even more now after seeing the direction we're heading.
Cher
1:23 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Three people voted for Kerbel, not four.
Darren
7:58 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
You miss the "skill set" of Mrs. Trainor-Fleet and Mr. Crook with contract negotiations and a looming pension problem? I agree with missing Mr. Wilkens, but come on?
Marie
1:34 am on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Seems like everyone voted for Callaghan. And yes, his father and mother were working the phones on his behalf. Why can't he put on big boy pants and stand up for himself? It's really pathetic,,, and Sue's speech about just supporting James' leadership... what leadership? He is already proven himself to be just another arrogant lawyer up there. We're in deep trouble... no doubt taxes will be raised this year... I mean James will never say no to teachers... his mommy will get upset with him.
Darren
6:24 am on Thursday, February 7, 2013
Marie, teacher contract negotiations and the School Department rest in the hands of the School Committee. May I suggest you google "Caruolo Act" and then achieve a better understanding of the roles and powers of the Town Council vs. the School Committee.
Darren
6:13 am on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
I find it odd that everyone is up in arms about the Town Council not hiring a Town Manager who lacks a basic Bachelor's Degree. Dean Hoxsie is a very smart man, a great guy, and has been a model Police Chief/Interim Town Manager. Unfortunately, he DOES NOT meet the qualifications to make it permanent. This search committee did not do their job. What kind of search committee puts forth a candidate that doesn't meet the base requirements? How did we go from Master's Degree REQUIRED to Bachelor's Degree NOT REQUIRED? It was Busch League of the committee to allow emotion and personal feelings in their candidate selection. Is the Police Chief the right person to be negotiating contracts with the Police Department? Is someone without a financial background the right person to fix the pension problem? This is stopgap for a crappy job done by the committee. The TC didn't hire Kerbel for the long term, he will be the INTERIM Town Manager.
I can't overstate what a good and decent man that Dean Hoxsie is. This is not about him, save for the committee putting both him and the Council in a no-win situation.
Ted Geisel
10:21 am on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Darren, there was never an Interim Town Manager position advertised. There were no requirements. No one else was even allow to apply for Interim Town Manager. That is what people are up in arms about. You're talking about the requirements for the permanent Town Manager position for which Kerbel never even applied for.
Darren
7:35 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Ted, Did the former Town Council put together a search committee when they appointed Chief Hoxsie as the "Interim" Town Manager in 2012? Apparently the requirements did not even include a college degree. Secondly, Kerbel is not the permanent Town Manager. If he was put in as the permanent Town Manager without the public vetting, I'd have a big problem with that. This guy is a hired gun who knows the budget process and contract negotiations.
Ted Geisel
8:32 am on Thursday, February 7, 2013
Darren, Why does Kerbel get a chance out of no where? No one else had that opportunity. Why didn't any of the finalist from the search committee get a chance?
Instead they railroad the town again and put Kerbel in. Who of course just happens to be a former aide to the brother of one council woman. And residents had questions about Callahan too.
If you want to switch to another person, fine. Pick one of the 4 finalists. Not someone who Callahan took upon himself to contact and who is at the very least under a cloud because of what happened in Providence.
Darren
5:21 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
Ted, the entire search was tainted either by the former Town Council leadership and/or the search committee itself. They were tasked with conducting a search with a set of qualifications (that included a master's degree). From what I've read, they asked that the master's degree requirement be changed to "preferred" allowing for a more diverse group of candidates. Then, they put forth a candidate finalist who did not even meet their reduced qualifications. This action has discredited and nullified the selection process while at the same time putting Chief Hoxsie (and the new Council) in a very bad situation. Mr. Callaghan and I would certainly disagree on 99 issues out of 100 (This is an assumption based upon my Conservative viewpoints and of his Democrat endorsement), but he was handed this mess. The only logical thing to do was remove the interim candidate and replace with someone who could immediately step in and handle budgets and unions. Anyone they offered the job to would be crazy to relocate their family to Narragansett after this debacle and a 3-2 vote.
jim
9:26 am on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Did I forget to mention that Kerbel worked in Providence for the brother of a currant town councilwomen ?? HMMMMMM I wonder how he was contacted for this interim job? Maybe ethically wrong?? Especially after seeing what a mess he left up there.
Darren
5:30 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
It sounds like we are vindicating David Ciccilline and saying it was Kerbel's fault in Providence. The only person who would step into this role right now is a re-tread municipal manager type. I am in no way saying these ethics questions aren't valid. They should be asked and answered. I would also include a question about Mrs. Hagopian's law enforcement relationships and the emergence of a law enforcement officer who was chosen as a finalist, by a committee she appointed, even though he did not meet the qualifications.
Marie
12:56 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Linda had the best comment: why was Callaghan ok with not getting a unanimous vote for his pick but threw the other FIVE qualified people under the bus? No one who pays any attention would believe that pile of baloney.
Darren
7:41 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Marie, Simple Answer: Because it is an Interim position. There wasn't a search committee when they appointed an Interim Manager who lacked a college degree. Secondly, I noticed that you chose to make personal attacks against Mr. Callaghan while being simply "Marie". Why don't you call or email him and let him know how you feel and not hide behind the Patch? I chose to go with just my first name because I am able to keep the conversation civil and factual.
Ted Geisel
8:37 am on Thursday, February 7, 2013
Darren you didn't answer Marie at all. Why were the other qualified people ignored? They at least applied for the permanent job. Kerbel did not.
Vince Alsoron
5:16 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Meg Rogers was correct, there were a large volume of calls made by the parents of James Calaghan. The message was not to go down and support their son and his pick for interim town manager which was sparsely rumored. Instead, as Ms. Rogers stated the message was clear. The Calaghans related that Chief Hoxie was not qualified to serve as the town manager and they were incensed because they felt Councilwoman Hagopian supported Hoxie’s candidacy. The message was loud and clear, it was to show disrespect for Hoxie and distain for what they perceived as the support from Ms. Hagopian, A plea for people to go to the meeting to voice the Calaghan’s point of view. Matt and Judy it is amazing that you would stoop to that level, this was purely political retribution.
Darren
7:51 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Vince, Chief Hoxsie should have never made it as a finalist when he lacked one of the basic requirements. This happened on Mrs. Hagopian's watch and has caused undue drama in the life of our great Police Chief. The "pulling of the strings", so to speak, appears that it came from Mrs. Hagopian. I seem to recall a letter to the editor from a Hagopian (her husband I presume) in support of Chief Hoxsie for Town Manager.
How Embarrassing
5:22 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Whether Kerbel reinvents the wheel or simply continues his track record of consistent financial train wrecks, Cicilline, Callaghan, and McLoughlin have grossly violated the public trust. All three stooges should resign immediately! You can not, nor will you ever be honored with the trust of any taxpaying resident of Narragansett.
Govstench
5:55 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
The people in Narragansett had better grab hold of their wallets - this guy is trouble. The only reason the Council needed a manager this quick is because there is pending police contract talks starting up and the Dems wanted to make sure they had "their" boy at the helm. Kerbel is about as bad as it gets. He was shown the door in Coventry after the citizens got wise to what he was doing. This guy was stonewalling the auditors from getting the data in Providence while Ciclline was driving around the state campaigning for Congress. He did create one hell of a mess in North Kingstown, violated the town charter on a land deal by selling land without voter approval. This is his record!! Are the Dems in Narragansett that stupid, or corrupt? You may ask why this guy took an interm managers position in Brighton, Ma. Perhaps the Dems felt it was better for this guy to leave the state and let things cool down. And why is this guy hopping from one town to another? One senses that this guy is trouble and leaves debris in each municipality he manages. You figure it out.
Darren
7:54 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
I'm not sure I understand your comment about police contract negotiations and having "their boy" at the helm? Would that make the Dems pro-union or anti-union?
Govstench
8:03 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Darren: Kerbel has been a "soft touch" for the unions. The police are approaching contract negotiations - their present contract is up for renewal. The council felt they needed a "manager" sitting across the table from the police union instead of the chief of police.
Darren
8:07 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
They brought this guy in for the eat opposite reason you are saying. The current Police Chief, who came up through the ranks in Narragansett and is part of the pension system would appear to me as a more soft touch for the union.
Govstench
10:36 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
The problem with that is he can't be involved - conflict of interest. I don't want to say "I told you so" after the damage is done but you just have to watch this guy - he has a track record and it is not good for the taxpayer!
Stephen Greenwell
6:05 am on Thursday, February 7, 2013
This article has also been posted on the North Kingstown Patch site, and there are comments there as well: http://northkingstown.patch.com/articles/former-nk-town-manager-to-take-interim-gig-in-narragansett#comments
jim
10:06 am on Thursday, February 7, 2013
Well Narragansett taxpayers are you aware that we are going to be paying Kerbel $37.000.00 for a so called 4 month interim manager position? Oh it gets better plus a health care package, and a deferred comp package. So lets do some basic math here, $37.000.00 salary, health care package, and a deferred comp package. We are upwards of $50.000.00 for a 4 month stint? For what?? Also at this time the council has no idea where they are going to find the $50.000.00 to pay him.
What is going on in this town ayway. The people of Narragansett had an ancting town manager doing an excellent job with proven leadership skills and a flawless record in almost 30 years of employment with the town.
So three new council members with almost no experience want a puppet to boss around that has no knowledge of Narragansett, and is going to cost the taxpayers $50.000.00 for a 4 month interim job? Really??? Lets not forget we are still paying Grady Miller for not being here. Also the senior management in the town has not had a raise in over 5 plus years. What is the council going to do next? And at the expense to the taxpayers. Sad state of affairs going on when they had a great interim manager who expressed his interest in the job full time. Degree or no degree he was doing a great job. One does not have to have a wall filled with degrees to have a abundance of managerial ability, common sense, and excellent leadership skills. Chief Hoxsie's track record. EXCELLENT !!
I'm Tired of the Games
11:59 am on Thursday, February 7, 2013
Maybe they should bring Grady back over Glenna's objections. Seems like candidates that meet the posted job requirements are starting avoid Narragansett (I wonder why).
Darren
6:31 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
The $50K we are going to fork up for him pales in comparison to the pension liability and contract negotiations that are coming up. Why is there no anger directed towards Mrs. Hagopian (she's still on the council, sits way at the end) who put us in this position. Chief Hoxsie should never have been put in this no-win situation. Maybe the committee thought they were helping him, but they did him and this town a great disservice. The only solution was to go with another interim manager that was not part of this cluster---- of a process. Do we really want the Council up there making "emotional" decisions?
jim
12:17 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
Tired of the games, what a true statement. Why would an outsider relocate his or her family with the current juggling game going on and such a uncertain future. WHAT A DISASTER .
Gloria J
7:49 pm on Friday, February 8, 2013
Are you out there "Darren"? Go seek meaningful employment or get elected to the town council yourself. Sorry for suggesting two things that have eluded your ability to accomplish. All the projection and damage control in the world will not help at this point. As another poster said, the three idiots on the council, responsible for Kerbel, will never have the trust of the town residents. A radio talk show host said yesterday that this brazen act of arrogance and filthy politics is unprecedented in the state of RI and Cicilline, Callaghan and McLaughlin should be removed from office by recall of the residents they have ignored. These three have created their own political demise.
Darren
9:22 pm on Friday, February 8, 2013
Gloria, I'm glad to see you still have power and you had a chance to hit the Chardonnay tonight. Kendall Jackson? I prefer my white wines of the unoaked variety. Your meaningful employment/get elected comment leads me to believe that you have me confused with someone else in town. The radio talk show host that you speak of (Buddy Cianci), is a convicted felon and has a much larger conflict of interest than our Town Council . On a side note, he does make a very good sauce (his secret is carrots, which reduce the acidity), but I digress. I believe these Councilpeople (I'd hate to offend you, in the event you were named after Ms. Steinham) were elected by the people to clean up a mess left by the previous Council. Should they have voted to appoint a candidate that didn't meet the base qualifications of the position? The political move here is the former Town Council President completely botching a search committee and subsequently dragging a good and decent man (Hoxsie) down with her. I hope you and your family are safe and weather the blizzard without any damage.
steve
3:22 pm on Saturday, February 16, 2013
interim manager did awful job 1st week with snow.where the heck did u get him he brings nothing to table.council is doing awful job.embarrassed to watch on tv.should have gave Hoxie a chance he did well with sandy. diplomias mean nothing without experience