Council Limits Term of Redevelopment Chief
Amid intense maneuvering, the City Council on Wednesday moved to limit the term of the interim chief of city redevelopment and to search for a permanent executive.
Jerry Scharlin was given a one-year, $175,000 contract with a six-month option, instead of the two years the Community Redevelopment Agency board had proposed.
The politically charged debate ended in compromise after council members met for nearly an hour behind closed doors for a briefing on a proposed $584,000 settlement of a lawsuit by two former CRA executives who were fired by Scharlin.
Scharlin was hired last year to revamp the financially troubled agency.
Council members said they could not support the two-year pact, arguing that a year is plenty of time for Scharlin to complete a reorganization of the agency and for the board to find a more experienced administrator after an open search.
The vote to approve a one-year, $175,000 contract with a six-month option was unanimous.
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