Joplin Policy on Severance Pay

Questions are raised about one four-state cities policy on severance pay. The issue came up after two of Joplin`s employees recently recieved severance pay. It all began when former Joplin Police Chief Ed Dennis recieved a ten week severance pay after retiring from the Joplin Police Department. This raised many questions from area citizens and city employees. "I don`t think there`s anything else there other than that a severance package had been offered, but that had been done in the past,"said Joplin Mayor Richard Russell. City Manager Steve Lewis also granted severance pay to former finance director leroy getchell. Both without city council approval.Mayor Russell says Lewis was *not* wrong, but that there was simply no policy set forth for Lewis to go by. "We hire the city manager to run the city and take care of these personnel issues,"said Russell. The fact is there was not policy, if there was he would`ve had guidlines.In fact, after numerous hours of research mayor russell says some cities grant severance pay, some don`t, but now the mayor has taken action.. He sent a letter to joplin`s personnel board asking that the board look into the matter. In hopes that in the future, this matter won`t become an issue. In the near future the policy board will have an open meeting to discuss the issue. Then they will make a recommendation to the council on a policty regarding severance pay. Reported By: Courtney Cullor