Water Works Board to Pay $66,500 to Former Manager in Severance Package

West Des Moines Water Works will pay its former general manager, Jerald W. “Jerry” Stevens, nearly $66,500 and benefits as part of a separation agreement reached after Stevens abruptly resigned from his job last month.

The payment, to be made in three installments, represents half a year’s salary. The position paid $132,924 a year when Stevens resigned. Water Works officials are saying little about Stevens’ resignation or an investigation authorized by the board of trustees last summer after a recommendation of the Personnel and Hiring Committee.

Board member Brian Rickert said the investigation authorized in June is not related to a probe by the Stanley Consultants engineering firm regarding the operability of a water tower on 88th Street. Concerns have been raised that the tower, completed two years ago, may not be tall enough to adequately meet pressure demands in the area. The tower has been offline since its completion.

The severance package negotiated with Stevens also includes health and dental insurance benefits through Dec. 31, 2013, or until Stevens becomes eligible for other health-care coverage and three months’ of job placement services from a mutually agreed upon company.

In exchange for the agreement, Stevens waived his rights to file for unemployment compensation benefits or to sue the Water Works board.

A copy of the agreement is attached.

Rickert said board members at the publicly owned utility have “moved on” and are attending to a national search to replace Stevens. Bill Garrett, the waterworks assistant general manager, will run the utility while a search is conducted for a new leader.

“We’re in the process of putting together a request for information to send to a number of different search firms to locate new candidate,” he said. “We’ll choose the best search firm to locate the best candidates across the country.”

Rickert expects the board to begin reviewing proposal from search firms within a couple of weeks.