Wheeler council appoints Paul Shibley as city manager, approves contract amendments

The Wheeler City Council voted to appoint Paul Shibley as the city manager and instructed staff to reflect council-proposed amendments in his employment contract.

During a brief discussion before the formal motion, council members confirmed an offered base salary of $80,000 and discussed two caveats: one discretionary extra week of vacation and whether the manager’s start date should be Jan. 1 or the first Monday in January (Jan. 5). A council member asked that the contract language on attendance at professional seminars be reviewed by counsel and that attendance at expensive seminars be approved by the mayor or presiding officer because of budget constraints.

Staff recited existing contract language that the city will reimburse "properly documented, reasonable, and necessary expenses incidental to attendance at the approved professional seminars and meetings, including hotels, mileage reimbursement, and meal reimbursement," and that mileage would be reimbursed at the Internal Revenue Service rate. Staff also noted the requirement that the city manager maintain adequate automobile liability insurance.

Council discussed termination-without-cause language and specifically asked for a "no culpability" clause in any severance package so a terminated employee released without cause would not retain the right to sue the city. Staff and council agreed to add that language for counsel to consider.

A motion to appoint Paul Shibley as city manager, with his contract to reflect the amendments proposed by council, was made and seconded by Doug Hudy Platt. The transcript records affirmative roll-call-style responses from council members: Mary Lambert, Heidi Stetson, Doug Vanquette, Gordon Taylor and the presiding officer indicated their assent during the vote sequence recorded in the excerpt.

With the vote recorded in the meeting transcript and no further public comment, the presiding officer adjourned the meeting at 11:15 a.m.