City Personnel Chief Quitting, And Council Agrees To Erase Job Beck Proposed Both His Severance Package And Scotching His Position

Longtime city personnel director Rob Beck will be laid off this fall as part of a deal approved by the City Council Tuesday night.

Beck, 50, decided this spring it was time to change careers and proposed the city eliminate his position. His severance package allows him to work three days a week, at full salary, for all but three weeks between now and Sept. 30.

He will receive a $3,697 check for unused vacation pay, sick leave and compensatory time. Under the terms of the agreement, Beck will be eligible for unemployment as he requested, city officials said.

The council voted 4-1 to approve the package Tuesday night. Councilman Chris Copstead was the lone dissenter. Councilman Ron Edinger was not at the meeting.

The city is eliminating Beck’s position. It will hire another person to take care of some of Beck’s duties and may use a consultant for other tasks.

However, the city should save money because the new staff will earn less than Beck. Beck’s salary is about $51,900 a year.

As personnel director, Beck has handled labor relations, civil service rules, benefits, staff support and building maintenance at city hall. Other department heads will assume responsibility for tasks such as building maintenance.

Beck has been personnel director for the city for 16 years.

He realized he had been thinking about an undefined career change as he was pulling together next year’s budget and decided to make the switch.

“I have ideas, but I don’t have any specific plans,” Beck said.

Those ideas include consulting work and teaching.

Beck taught evening economics classes at North Idaho College for 10 years.

, DataTimes