INDIAN RIVER SHORES — The resignation of Indian River Shores Town Manager Richard Jefferson now has town officials faced with a dilemma of how to staff the two positions – manager and building official – that Jefferson fills through May 15.
Prior to Jefferson, the town had a full-time manager and a full-time building official. When Robert Bradshaw resigned as town manager, the economy was down and new construction had all-but stopped, so it made good economic sense to have Jefferson do double duty.
Vice Mayor Jerry Weick has frequently reminded town officials that the Shores is about 95 percent built out, but Jefferson asserts that the number of permits is picking up regardless.
At the last Shores Town Council meeting, a year-long grudge match between Jefferson and Councilman Dick Haverland about pensions, annexation and other matters was set to erupt after Haverland let it be known he planned to demand Jefferson’s resignation at the meeting.
Despite Haverland’s preview of his plan to oust Jefferson, the single-page agenda for the March 21st meeting contained no mention of a call for anyone’s resignation.
Instead, Haverland talked about two issues at the heart of the bad feelings between Jefferson and him.
One was the possible annexation of Island Club, a community of about 600 north of Indian River Shores, which the councilman thought Jefferson badly bungled last year. Haverland asked that the annexation effort be rekindled.
Jefferson responded: “You handle it. I’m not getting beat up over this anymore.”
Several days later, Haverland told sister publication, Vero Beach 32963 that he had looked into annexation and learned that most people in Island Club didn’t want it. So, he’s dropping the topic.
The next testy issue between Haverland and Jefferson came up in a discussion at the March 21 meeting over what to do about a former council vote to replace the monthly pension checks of three Shores retirees.
The council voted in January to replace pensions with a lump sum payout equal to less than nine years of pension checks.
When Haverland spoke in favor of the switch to the reduced payouts a few weeks ago, Jefferson sarcastically called him “a real humanitarian.”
This time, however, the majority of council members said they would consider increasing the lump sum.
To which Haverland responded: “A four percent increase is one thing. A 100 percent increase is another.”
Jefferson bit his lip and the council decided to have a workshop with the three retirees and investment advisors to see how they could get the retirees the best bang for their buck.
A few minutes later at the meeting, Jefferson said he wanted to say something.
“I’m retiring May 15,” Jefferson said. Council members, including Haverland, looked shocked.
After the meeting, Haverland said he decided to delay calling for Jefferson’s resignation at the meeting because he doubted that the two newly-elected council members – Brian Barefoot and Tom Slater – knew enough of the background to vote.
“It’s just as well because now we don’t have to get into it,” said Haverland.
“My leaving has nothing to do with Haverland,” said Jefferson.
Jefferson is marrying Kathy Vallentine, a Vero Beach kitchen designer, on May 19 under the oaks next to the Shores council chambers. The two are moving to Cape Cod the next day.
Jefferson, who made a yearly salary of $130,000 as building official and $14,000 as town manager, will not receive a retirement pension from the Shores.
While Jefferson said his dual job will require filling two positions for more money than he made, Haverland said he thought Jefferson’s dual jobs as town manager and building official might be filled by part-timers and individual contracts to save the town money.
“Not much is being built, so the job of building official could be part-time,” said Haverland. “So could the town manager’s job because there aren’t that many issues.”
Now that Jefferson is on the way out, Haverland is softening toward him – though just a little:
“I wish him the best of luck. Time will tell if we’re better off or worse off without him,” he said.
Jefferson returned the mixed review.
“Haverland is smart and has some very good ideas, but, to me, he‘s as irritating as a bad rash.”
