IWD directors approve GM contract in 3-2 vote

Idyllwild Water District (IWD) General Manager Leo Havener just received a raise. The board, in a special closed-session meeting 3-2 vote, approved a contract increasing Havener’s current annual salary from $117,000 to $119,225 “prorated and paid on the District’s regular pay-days” for the remaining of this fiscal year. He was hired by the district March of last year.

Starting July 1, Havener’s annual salary will increase to $133,000 “prorated to be paid on the District’s regular pay-days, which salary shall be adjusted every subsequent year thereafter on July 1 thereof by the COLA increase, if any, if provided by the District to the employees of the District.”

All five directors were present for the vote. Directors Les Gin, Dr. Charles Schelly and Peter Szabadi approved the employee agreement. Directors Dave Hunt and Steve Kunkle voted against the agreement.

The “Agreement will be separately automatically renewed for two (2) additional two (2) year terms on the same terms as this Agreement unless the Employer notifies the Employee no less than sixty (60) days prior to the expiration of the original term or any renewal term provided in this Agreement.”

Havener will receive a $500 per month allowance for using his own vehicle “for driving to and from the District offices and facilities and at such facilities … Employee shall be required to maintain auto insurance in

the amount of Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000) per person and One Million Dollars ($1,000,000) per incident at no cost to the District. Said insurance shall name the District as an additional insured. It is the Employee’s intention to use the Employee’s automobile for his work for the District.”

Havener declined the district’s health insurance coverage. Included in the agreement regarding health insurance policy coverage is: “Should the Employee wish to join the Employer’s plan, he may do so during the next open enrollment or when a status change occurs, such as loss of a spouse’s health plan due to a spouse becoming unemployed. In such event, the Employer shall have the right to prospectively amend the salary provided for herein to reduce it by the amount of such additional costs and expense.”

Havener shall “accrue a total of six (6) weeks of PTO in any twelve (12) month period, as follows: the Employee shall begin accruing such time at the beginning of his first full month of employment, i.e. 20 hours per each month of employment.” He cannot take more than two weeks unless it is “previously approved by the district.” He will also receive two weeks of administrative leave that “must be used within the year it is granted.”