LOCK HAVEN — As it continues to chart a path forward following the sudden termination of its city manager, Lock Haven City Council unanimously approved stipends for its interim manager and other staff.

On Monday night, council was presented with proposed stipends for a variety of staff members by Interim Manager/City Planner Abbey Roberts.

“Through the transition of the city manager position, city staff has and will continue to assume additional responsibilities on top of their current duties,” Roberts wrote in a statement to council.

To compensate these employees for their work, Roberts suggested the following monthly stipends:

— Wendi Spicher, administrative secretary, $1,000.

— Kasey Dumm, director of community life, $380.

— Jared Gist, public works superintendent, $380.

— Matthew Rickard, chief of police, $380.

— Carter Simcox, project manager, $380.

— Cyndi Walker, director of permits and licensing, $380.

In the recommendation to council, Roberts highlighted the additional duties each has taken on.

This included:

— Spicher: Financial duties related to payroll, benefits, taxes, etc.; filing of reports; tracking of expenditures and revenues, including department budgets; support Maher Dussel in their work to complete the 2024 and 2025 audits; and supporting Roberts in daily tasks related to her position as interim manager.

— Dumm: Close out of Hoberman Park improvement project; design decisions and DCNR meetings for Hanna Park improvement project; drafting resolutions and compiling meeting packets; assistance in grant applications; other duties distributed from the city planner position.

— Gist: Lead PennDOT contact for issues/agreements; approve purchase orders over $3,000; lead ongoing foreman meetings and keep interim manager updated on progress; other duties as raised.

— Rickard: Assistance with Right-to-Know requests; greater responsibility in purchasing equipment (quotes, etc.); assistance with operational and facility decisions; and additional duties as they arise.

— Simcox: Assistance in grant applications; additional workload in Municity 5 training; support in CBDG (Community Development Block Grant) processes; and other duties as distributed by the city planner.

— Walker: Additional workload in Municity 5 training; assume lead staff contact for redevelopment authority; additional work with economic development initiatives; other duties as distributed by city planner.

Council also reaffirmed the $5,000 per month stipend Roberts will be receiving for taking on the management of city government in the interim. That stipend was recommended by council during its special meeting on Jan. 22, when it appointed Roberts to the role.

Roberts further requested backpay for the two weeks in January which herself and city staff took over former manager Gregory Wilson’s duties. Wilson was suspended and terminated from the position on Jan. 19 in a 4-3 vote by council.

Roberts requested $1,500 in back pay for her role as interim manager and the following back pay for employees:

— Spicher, $300.

— Dumm, $114.

— Gist, $114.

— Rickard, $114.

— Simcox, $114.

— Walker, $114.

In other news related to the termination of Wilson from his role, two city residents spoke in relation to the decision made in January.

Ted Forbes, a former city council member who spoke at council’s special meeting, asked its members if they read the list of questions he’d left for them on Jan. 22.

There were seven total questions, the majority of which asked council if they had addressed the issues laid out in its resolution to suspend and terminate Wilson from his position.

“Did (council) look at the set of items I raised and did they address them in any way,” he asked.

Forbes was initially met with silence, though Council Member Barbara Masorti spoke up, telling him she’d read over the questions but did not have any comments about them.

Forbes then provided council with a list of five requests of council members he passed out. He said he elected not to read them out loud due to the time it would take and acknowledged the council’s lengthy agenda for the evening.

These requests included:

— Rescinding the motion to suspend and terminate Wilson and return him to the city manager office. The request further asked council to provide “new recommendations and rights to security for his future service to Lock haven; (work with him, not against him).”

— To increase its “open-veiwing and reporting of council members’ discussions and debates on all matters listed on your meeting agendas, thereby reducing the tendency to exit to ‘executive sessions’ in another room — except for clearly internal private matters.” Forbes alleges council should have held a public discussion about the manager’s potential termination, calling the private conversations “unprofessional.” Per the PA Sunshine Act, council can hold executive sessions regarding personnel matters if it so chooses.

— Encouraged council that, if Wilson or the city manager were to need an assistant, to fund such an endeavor. He further stated council should consider doing the same for the city planner, “as some have commented certainly can use one” and for Walker in her position.

— Requested an “open door” policy for city hall. “COVID urgencies are over. Direct access to those offices is a political and practical, healthy and wise decision for all.”

— Begin sharing a monthly report on water qualities.

Following Forbes statements, resident Joshua Hudson spoke about council’s conduct during public comment at its special meeting.

Hudson said he’d watched the meeting virtually and was “very disappointed” in council’s responses to Forbes questions as a citizen.

During the special meeting, Forbes was in the midst of asking multiple questions of council regarding their decision to terminate Wilson, when he was stopped by Council Member Jeff Brinker, who asked if he had a statement or was simply quizzing them. This led to Forbes passing out the questions while making requests of council to reconsider its decision.

“I was very disappointed in this council’s responses to him as a citizen, as a person in America who has rights. He has ample duty to come and ask questions,” he said. “He was demeaned and minimized by this council.”

He further noted the Sunshine Act allows for residents like Forbes to speak during public comment. He acknowledged council isn’t required to answer the questions.

“We still, as citizens, have the right to come and ask (questions). It is not ‘quizzing’ council, he said. “I really wish better of this council. It was very hard to see that flagrant disregard of (Forbes) as a citizen,” he said.