$238,005.54 HLP GM Severance

Recently the General Manager of Heber Power retired. Thanks to a GRAMA request by a Heber 

resident, ratepayers are now able to read the pertinent "Early Retirement Severance Agreement."   

To entice the GM to leave earlier than his requested Mar 2015 departure, he was able to cash in 

unused vacation (11.5 days or $8,286),  sick leave (57.38 days or $41,339), which appears to be 

normal HLP policy.  

Note that HLP gave 8 sick days per year, for many years until it was 'returned' to 12 days last 

year, for the 36 employees.  There is now nearly $1 Million in UNFUNDED accrued benefits.

That total accrual of $49,623.06 was accumulated in his 7-8 years of employment with HLP.

He was also awarded $150,000 in "severance" pay, $30,000 donation to his retirement fund 

AND $4,780.08 for in-lieu-of health insurance payment.   Provisions were made to allow him to 

"use" up his 551 hrs of "2014 vacation and sick leave allotment to extend his retirement date 

(for retirement pay purposes) until November - thereby increasing his retirement pay by over 3%.

 
 


   

   

   
rate
   
amount
  

   
Vacation, sick hours
   
551
   
$90.06
   
$49,623.06
  

   
Paid Holidays
   
5
   
$90.06
   
$3,602.40
  

   
In-lieu of insurance
   

   
$1,593.36
   
$4,780.08
  

   
Consultant services
   

   

   
$0.00
  

   
Severance
   

   

   
$150,000.00
  

   
401K
   

   

   
$30,000.00
  

   

   

   
TOTAL
   
$238,005.54
  


As there are 5 paid holidays during that extra period before officially 

retiring, he will be paid an additional $3,602.40 for not working on those 

days, while on vacation.

What will Mr. Stewart, the now retired HLP GM, be required to do? Nothing!  

****   Wait,  not exactly - if his expertise or knowledge is required  

"to support the  criminal prosecution" etc. against Mr. Furness, he will be 

paid $90.06/hr. plus    expenses.

It should be remembered that the GM was overseer of  Mr. Furness while he was 

embezzling funds, he was the one who signed the checks, approved loans, and was 

responsible for managing Heber Power, operationally and financially.    

(Hundreds of thousands of dollars of loss, litigation and investigation costs)

Interestingly, section 20 of the HLP employee policy manual states:

"Severance pay will not be paid if the Exempt Manager voluntarily resigns,

is discharged for cause, or retires."

Coincidentally, that section also states if a manager is simply "terminated 

without cause," he would receive 3 to 6 months of severance pay.

Oh, about that recent puff piece in the news about his retirement, that was 

required (with his approval of content) in the severance agreement.

Thanks to HLP for releasing the information, a great step forward in the 

needed transparency.

Click here for Wasatch Taxpayers website to view the agreement itself.