Lewisburg council suspends city manager 30 days, appoints interim and orders HR review

The Lewisburg City Council voted on Sept. 9 to suspend the city manager for 30 days without pay and to appoint an interim city manager while an internal, HR‑focused independent review is completed. The council also directed staff to pursue an outside investigation of whether city personnel policies and procedures were followed.
The action followed a special‑call discussion begun at the Sept. 9 regular meeting about the status of an ongoing criminal inquiry and separate questions about whether city HR policies were followed. Council members said the new review is intended to examine personnel policies, internal roles and whether any city policies were violated.
Council discussion identified three distinct tracks: (1) the criminal investigation handled by outside law enforcement agencies, which the council said is separate from the city’s internal review; (2) a proposed independent, attorney‑led HR review to examine whether city personnel policies and the city’s handling of related personnel matters complied with its own rules; and (3) short‑term administrative continuity by appointing an interim manager.
Councilmembers proposed a 30‑day unpaid suspension of the city manager effective Sept. 10 and debated the scope and cost of an outside HR review. One councilmember reported receiving an engagement letter from an outside law firm estimating 15–40 hours of work at an hourly rate the letter put at $630. Council discussion stressed that the HR review would be distinct from any criminal inquiry and focused on whether the city followed its written policies and treated employees consistently.
Because the city treasurer said serving as interim manager could present internal‑control or audit conflicts (signing checks and approving purchase orders while also holding the treasurer role), the council withdrew an earlier suggestion to appoint the treasurer and instead appointed Barbara Woods as interim city manager. The appointment made the interim role limited and part time (20 hours weekly, up to 25 hours in emergencies) and set interim pay at $25 per hour. Councilmembers discussed that Woods should refrain from voting on Planning Commission matters if that presented a conflict; council members said she could attend and abstain from votes if advised by legal counsel.
Discussion and votes: the suspension motion was moved and seconded and, after roll call, was recorded as passing. A separate motion to appoint Barbara Woods as interim city manager for the suspension period was moved and seconded and passed by roll call.
Next steps and context: council members asked the manager and city staff to obtain engagement letters from outside firms to scope the HR review, with attention to time estimates and cost. Council members said the review’s expected scope includes: examination of the city’s HR manual and personnel policies, interviews with involved staff, and recommendations on whether policy changes or corrective action are appropriate. The council emphasized the work is internal and not intended to influence any criminal proceedings.