(PHOTO BY JESSIE DAVIS / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
PENDING LEGAL ACTION … Former Delta Village Administrator Andy Glenn explains the decision-making process behind recent water and sewer rate increases to a crowd of residents at the Delta Village Council meeting in October of 2023.
By: Jesse Davis
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jesse@thevillagereporter.com
Since the handling of legal allegations against the village of Delta by terminated former administrator Andy Glenn have been handed to an outside entity, it is unclear whether the public will receive any answers on the outcome.
During a meeting of the Delta Village Council last month, Mayor Allen Naiber read a letter from Francis Landry of Wasserman, Bryan, Landry & Honold, LLP, a law firm retained by Glenn accusing the council of violating his contract as well as his rights.
Based on allegations in the letter, Glenn challenged the handling of his termination if it was truly at will, while also arguing it was actually a for-cause termination both inappropriate in its usage and not following the conditions required for such an action.
According to his contract with the village, an at-will termination can be made at any time “upon 90 days written notice to Glenn.”
“If the Village does not request continuance of services, Glenn shall still be compensated at his full rate until the date of termination. Glenn shall be compensated for all unused vacation time and any unused sick time pursuant to the Village’s policy manual,” the contract reads.
During the meeting in which he was terminated, it was confirmed to Glenn that he would be receiving that 90 days of pay, although it is unclear whether he was provided written notice.
The letter claimed that Glenn not receiving or having the option for a public hearing on the matter was a “violation of the Ohio Revised Code and his rights to due process.”
It was also indicated in the letter that Glenn believes he was terminated due to his age, an allegation challenged by council ember Robert Shirer when asked for comment.
“I would recommend reading comments that Mr. Glenn made to newspaper in regard to why he was terminated three months ago, because in those complaints nowhere was age discrimination ever a thought in his mind,” Shirer said.
“So I find it strange that they are now a concern. If he has any evidence that he was discriminated against, I would love for him to bring it forward, I would love to see it. But we are not aware of any.”
Glenn’s demands per the letter includes payment of his salary from the date of his termination through the “standard termination date” of May 22, 2025 – approximately $74,000 based on his termination date 90 days after the May 20, 2024 council meeting during which he was terminated and his contracted annual salary at that point of $98,000.
He is also demanding 10 years worth of his 14 percent Public Employee Retirement System contributions (totaling roughly $137,000) plus $250,000 in damages “resulting from the defamatory nature of the proceedings against him which have severely damaged his career as a public servant,” for a total amount in the ballpark of $461,000.
Law Director Kevin Heban said the allegations and legal issues have been passed along to the village’s insurance carrier.
“That’s what the village paid for,” Heban said. “There’s coverage under our policy for that. If a police officer gets in an accident or injures somebody, it’s all covered just like in your own personal insurance.”
He said the issue was now fully out of the village’s hands. “I don’t expect to hear back from the insurance company,” Heban said.
“We’ve turned it over to them, so they’ll engage their own lawyer and handle it themselves.”
Reached for comment, Glenn said he expected consequences. “This callous and unthought-out action taken by the village council caused harm not just to me but to every taxpayer and resident in the village of Delta, and I intend to hold them accountable for their actions,” Glenn said.
In the time since Glenn’s termination, Edward Ciecka has served as interim village administrator. The opening for a full-time replacement was posted several weeks ago.
Mayor Naiber said the village is looking through resumes now, with interviews expected to take place sometime in the next two weeks.
