City Official, Asked to Resign, Is Rehired as Temporary Consultant

The City Council asked Arcadia’s longtime planning director to resign last month, then rehired him a week later as a temporary consultant in a severance agreement with the city, City Manager Donald R. Duckworth said this week.

The council called for the resignation of Planning Director William Woolard, a 23-year city employee, at Duckworth’s request, the city manager said. Duckworth said he could not disclose the reasons for the action because it is a personnel matter.

Under the severance agreement approved by council members a week after his resignation, Woolard was rehired as a consultant for three to six months at his previous monthly salary, Duckworth said.

Councilman Robert C. Harbicht, the only council member to oppose the resignation request, said Woolard had an outstanding record of service to the city.

“Woolard went from Employee of the Year to being unemployed,” said Harbicht, noting that city employees named Woolard the top employee of 1991.

Woolard, 50, who served as planning director for 22 years, resigned in May, two days after the council asked for his resignation in closed session. The resignation became public at a council meeting the next day when Harbicht revealed it. A week later Woolard was given the consulting contract.

“Morale at City Hall has been very low since (Woolard’s) resignation,” said Harbicht, who criticized Duckworth for seeking Woolard’s resignation.

“I’ve become convinced in the last eight months that Donald Duckworth is not competent enough to manage the city,” he said. “The reason Duckworth gave for asking for (Woolard’s) resignation was he was a negative influence.”

Woolard acknowledged he openly disagreed with Duckworth on the direction of the planning department. “It had a lot to do with personalities,” he said.

Duckworth said he plans to reorganize the department to make planning and building regulations more business-friendly. Planning, building and redevelopment will be under the umbrella of a new community development department.

The consulting contract runs for three to six months and involves answering telephone queries about reports he produced, said Woolard, who is searching for another job.