With two new Iola City Council members now seated, Councilman Donald Becker wasted little time in addressing what he considered sore spots for the city.
Most prominently, Becker said the city should offer former Human Resources Officer Kent Hunt his old job back “if he wants it.”
“The most important thing a person has is his reputation,” Becker said, adding Hunt’s firing unfairly sullied his reputation.
Becker showed a thick folder filled with information gleaned from a lengthy investigation into Iola’s health insurance rates that revealed employees enrolled in family plans and retirees paid less in premiums than what had been spelled out by Iola’s personnel policies.
Mayor Bill Shirley fired Hunt in March, shortly after Hunt was accused by former City Councilman Ken Rowe of changing the personnel policies without authorization. Hunt has denied the allegations.
Becker said the investigation revealed little more than Hunt “doing his job.”
In addition to rehiring Hunt, Becker recommended the city expunge any record of Hunt’s firing from his personnel record and pay Hunt’s legal expenses and the difference in what he has received in unemployment benefits compared to what he would have received had he still been employed by the city.
“I don’t know if you want that or anything else,” Becker told Hunt, who was in the audience at Monday’s meeting. “I want to open a dialogue because I don’t think we need any more lawsuits. Had this been done against me, I would have issued a lawsuit.”
Hunt’s former position remains unfilled, but budgeted. Roxanne Hutton, city clerk, has assumed much of Hunt’s responsibilities managing city employee vacation requests, health insurance issues and other concerns of the force.
Hunt said after the meeting he was surprised by Becker’s comments because Becker had made no indication he would make such a proposal beforehand.
Hunt expressed gratitude to Becker’s comments but declined to speak further about the issue.
BECKER ALSO proposed the city take a look at changing its newly developed purchasing policy, which he dubbed cumbersome and inefficient.
Becker said the policy should be reshaped and made more “business friendly.”
He urged the council seek input from city staff and local business representatives as the policy is amended.
Two councilmen supported taking another look at the purchasing policy.
