We had a disagreement with the Cambridge Chronicle on the handling of one of the three orders considered by the Cambridge City Council concerning the employment situation of the Cambridge City Manager and the replacement of the retiring Cambridge City Clerk.
My resolution of the employment situation is to fire the Cambridge City Manager for Monteiro and hire the retiring Cambridge City Clerk to act as acting Cambridge City Manager pending international search for a new City Manager.
The third motion, which passed, appointed Donna Lopez, City Clerk Drury’s current number 2 person as Interim City Clerk because of the anticipated late February retirement and to empower the two to set up an orderly transition.
Two motions (1) to establish procedures with regard to the City Manager’s expiring contract and (2) with regard to establishing procedures to replace the City Clerk were initiated by Cambridge City Councilor Kelley and were delayed to last Monday’s meeting (2/6/12) by Councilor Davis under her powers under the city charter.
Kelley was out of state on Monday and no other councilor brought up the orders. The two orders, in accordance with the Charter provision, were automatically placed on file.
The Monteiro decision concerned the City Manager’s firing of Department Head Malvina Monteiro in retaliation for her filing a civil rights complaint. Very strong communications were written by a panel of the Appeals Court and by the Superior Court trial judge, plus there was an award of $3.5 million PENAL damages by the jury in addition to $1.1 million real damages. The judicial comments clearly established grounds to fire the Cambridge City Manager without his golden parachute and possibly without pension.
