NEWPORT BEACH : New Police Chief Signs $100,000 Pact

The new police chief has signed a contract that will pay him a $100,000-a-year salary, provide modest perks and spells out the procedure for termination, officials said Monday.

Robert J. McDonell’s first day on the job will be Aug. 2.

City Manager Kevin J. Murphy hired McDonell, chief of police in Woodland, a suburb of Sacramento, after a six-month search that attracted more than 50 candidates.

This marks the first time a Newport Beach police chief has had a written employee agreement with the city. The five-page document stipulates that McDonell, like most police chiefs, serves at the pleasure of the city manager and can be fired without cause and without recourse.

The clause regarding termination, said Murphy, is worded to avoid a messy situation like the one the city endured with former Police Chief Arb Campbell, who was fired in December and then reinstated in June and immediately retired.

The new chief cannot be fired within 90 days of any municipal election for the selection or recall of one or more of the members of the City Council. Murphy said this is intended to ensure that the police chief’s job is not beholden to political campaigns.

McDonell will receive 21 paid vacation days per year, a health plan identical to other city department heads and use of a city vehicle.

The city has also agreed to pay McDonell’s moving expenses from his home in Northern California as well a maximum of $3,000 for him and his wife to travel to Newport Beach in search of a home.

McDonell need only pass a physical examination before assuming the top post.