HANDS-ON LEARNING – Tutu’s Tidepool, a new Sitka Sound Science Center mobile aquarium, is filled up with urchins and other marine life with the help of first-graders at Xoots Elementary School Thursday. At the unveiling of the aquarium both kindergarten and first-grade students learned about tidepools from Science Center instructors and helped transfer critters to the touch tank. Pictured are Dianamarie Brady, left, and Theo Gray. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
Through grants and other financial aid to training and [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
From mushrooms to salmon to venison and blueberries, [ ... ]
By ARIADNE WILL
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Planning Commission gave preliminary approval to a tw [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
Competing against wrestlers from across the state in [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
In their first swim meet of the season, 37 members of the Baranof Barracudas [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
In a City League recreational division basketball game Thursday, Forrester a [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
Alaska senators will address education, elections, energy and the [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
The Alaska House of Representatives will be governed by a mostly [ ... ]
Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
November 7
An incident of dru [ ... ]
Fisheries Trust to Hold
Summit on SE Climate
As changes in climate become more noticeable in Southeast [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
Silver Bay Seafoods announced Wednesday that it will acquire processing faci [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
A maritime mystery and shipboard hijinx will come to l [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Enrollment is now open for federal help for health in [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
Sitka High’s Lady Wolves swept to victory in the se [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
Federal prosecutors are recommending that an Alaska fisher serve [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
Alaska elections officials added about 1,500 more votes to the st [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
Oil companies could buy oil leases in the Arctic National Wildlif [ ... ]
Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
November 6
At 10:36 a.m. a ca [ ... ]
SFS, Coliseum
Present SNL Film,
‘Saturday Night’>Sitka Film Society and Coliseum Theater present [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Sitka voters’ choices in Tuesday’s general electi [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
Plans for the Sitka School District to form a pre-kind [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
Leading off in the Region V volleyball tournament Tuesday at Sitka High, the [ ... ]
By ANDREW KITCHENMAN
Alaska Beacon
Republican Donald Trump was on track to again win Alaska in [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
Alaska voters are on course to retain all 19 judges on this year [ ... ]
Daily Sitka Sentinel
City, Dinley Sign Off On Resignation Terms
Jim Dinley (Sentinel Photo)
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
After meeting behind closed doors for an hour to approve a severance package, the Assembly voted Wednesday night to accept the resignation of Jim Dinley as city administrator.
The motion was approved without objection by Assembly members Phyllis Hackett, Thor Christianson, Matthew Hunter, Pete Esquiro and Mayor Mim McConnell.
Mike Reif and Michelle Putz participated in the executive session by phone but were unavailable later for the vote in open session.
Under terms of the resignation, which is effective immediately, Dinley received a check for $72,744.68, a payment based on 120 days of salary and benefits. His most recent salary was $122,408.
“City and employee acknowledge and agree that City has elected not to terminate Employee’s employment with city, and instead has accepted Employee’s resignation to be made effective upon acceptance and execution of this agreement by the City,” stated a document titled “Severance Agreement with Mutual Release of Claims,” which both McConnell and Dinley signed today.
Assembly members praised Dinley for his work, but said it was time for a change.
“It had to happen,” Christianson said in an interview after the meeting. “We could’ve done it better but it had to happen. Now we need to look forward and go out and get a new administrator.”
He said the departure of Dinley has been coming for a few years. Christianson was elected to his current term in 2011, after the previous Assembly had given Dinley a favorable job rating and renewed his contract for another three years with a raise in pay.
“I think there has been some who haven’t been real happy with things he’s done in his administration and the number of voices has been increasing for a number of years,” Christianson said Wednesday. He said he probably had the most problems with Dinley’s “personal style and professional issues,” and believes that the relationship between the city and other entities could be stronger.
McConnell and Christianson said that the Assembly’s recent disciplinary action against Dinley, related to a “personnel complaint” was unrelated to the Assembly’s decision to seek his resignation.
Dinley’s two-week suspension without pay ended the day before the Assembly voted on April 16 to rate his job performance as “unsatisfactory.”
The Assembly did not release the reasons for the low evaluation.
The Assembly’s acceptance of the resignation “had very little to do with his recent suspension,” Christianson said. “It probably would’ve happened anyway. We had to do what we had to do.”
McConnell said the Assembly changes with every election, and philosophies also change from year to year.
“At some point the people who chose Dinley to be administrator, most of them, have come and gone,” she said.
Assembly members, in wishing Dinley well before voting Wednesday, told Dinley Wednesday night that they respected him as a person, and for his honesty and integrity. They said he had done a good job with the budget every year.
“I respect you as an individual, I trust you,” Hunter said.
Christianson agreed, and said it’s rare for an administrator to last more than three years on the job. “I appreciate all the work you’ve done,” he said.
Hackett said she had learned from Dinley, and thanked him for his straightforward and honest manner, and his helpfulness.
“We’ll continue to have our woes, but we’re in pretty good shape because of what you’ve done,” she said. “I appreciate you’re leaving us in this way. We’re in better shape than we have been.”
Esquiro said he appreciated the many great conversations he’s had with Dinley about “how to make Sitka a better place.”
“You did the job that needed to be done when you first came here, and you took the bull by the horns,” Esquiro said. “Things change as we move along. It’s time for a little bit of a change. I do respect your integrity and honesty and I wish you all the best.”
Dinley nodded and thanked them for their comments. He said he didn’t want to say anything to the public until he picked up his check, and signed the agreement, which happened today.
The Assembly is scheduled to review the general fund budget at 6 p.m. today, the first of three work sessions on the 2013-14 draft budget. McConnell said she has no doubt that the Assembly will be ready and able to move ahead, without Dinley, who has guided the budget process for the past five budget cycles.
“I’m confident things will roll along fairly well,” the mayor said.
McConnell said today that the Assembly has settled on Finance Director Jay Sweeney to be Interim Administrator until a new administrator is hired.
McConnell said the Assembly will meet with Human Resources Director Mark Danielson to start work on finding a replacement for Dinley.
Dinley, who is now 74, was hired as administrator in February 2008 following the forced resignation of John Stein. Dinley came to Sitka from Georgia, where he had been city manager for the small towns of Fort Oglethorpe, Colquitt and Sylvester, following his retirement from a 30-year career with the U.S. Air Force.
Login Form
20 YEARS AGO
November 2004
Sitka will observe Veterans Day with a parade, a luncheon and a banquet. All are invited to help carry the large garrison flag, on loan from the Elks Lodge, said Bill Aragon, of the parade sponsor American Legion Post 13. After the parade veterans are invited to a noon luncheon at the ANB Hall. The Veterans Day banquet, sponsored by Tlingit-Haida of Sitka, will be at Centennial Hall.
50 YEARS AGO
November 1974
Representatives from Sitka attending the state-federal fisheries rehabilitation plan meeting are Larry Calvin, sport fishermen; Joe Siebert, Southeast Alaska Trollers Association; Bob Wyman, seafood processing industry; and Carl Kerr, purse seiners.