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October 6, 2016
Wayne OK’s contract to retain city manager
W
AYNE
- W
ESTLAND
Wayne officials have unani-
mously agreed to a new, four-
year contract to retain the serv-
ices of City Manager Lisa
Nocerini at a cost of $120,000
annually.
The four-year contract with
Nocerini Strategy Group LLC
was approved by the unanimous
vote of members of the city coun-
cil at a meeting last month, with
instructions to the city attorney
to clarify the severance pay
clause indemnifying the city
should the state appoint an
emergencymanager.
The initial agreement pro-
posed by City Clerk Matthew
Miller and Personnel Director
Carrie Venus was for a two-year
termwith three months of sever-
ance pay. Nocerini proposed a
four-year contract with five
months of severance pay, which
was enacted. Nocerini is not
paid any benefits from the city
under the current contract pro-
visions and will not be paid ben-
efits under the newagreement.
The five-months of severance,
or $50,000, is only to be paid to
Nocerini if she is terminated by
an act of the city council and the
contract also stipulates that she
must be given 30 days notice of
any termination. Should she
leave the city position of her own
accord, she is required to pro-
vide the city with an equal 30-
day notice. The agreement origi-
nally proposed only a 10-day
notice in either situation.
Nocerini has been the city
manager for about a year. She
previously worked as a consult-
ant to the city at a rate of $50,000
per year throughher company.
Councilman Christopher
Sanders raised some questions
about the contract language
clause in the contract. Sanders
said that he had not heard of
severance pay for a contract
employee and was concerned
that should the state appoint an
emergency financial manager
for the city, the language could
be interpreted as obligating the
city to the five months severance
pay.
He said his concern was the
serious financial deficit in the
city which is expected to be
divested of all cash revenue by
late 2017 or early 2018.
Councilman John Rhaesa
supported the four-year agree-
ment over the objections of some
other council members. He said
that Nocerini brought stability to
the city which is crucial in the
current financial crisis.
Councilman Anthony Miller
agreed with Rhaesa noting that
he felt Nocerini had done a
“great job” promoting stability.
Following the agreement to
change the severance clause lan-
guage, the contract was
approvedby unanimous vote.
Glenn High School last year to
nearly unprecedented success
and publicity. The concept is sim-
ple. Students sign a contract,
along with their parents, chose a
mentor from many volunteers
available, and agree to increase
their grade point average by at
least ahalf point that semester.
If they succeed, they receive a
check for $200, no questions
asked and no strings attached.
The program saw 420 students
enroll the first semester it was
available at John Glenn and 137
students or 33 percent made
their goal. In the second semes-
ter, 567 students enrolled and 159
or 28 percentmade their goal.
“But the real success,” Shaw
said, “is the 94 percent of stu-
dents who improved their grade
point average. That is an incredi-
ble success.”
Valerie Orr, principal at
Wayne Memorial High School,
said she believes that the $200
incentive gives students the
“street cred” to join the program
and when the success in grades
follows, they continue to learn
and value education.
Shaw agreed and said that the
impact of improving the schools
at this rate was crucial to the
entire business and residential
community.
“More people move in, there
is a greater potential market for
businesses and a more vibrant,
thriving community,” he said.
Shaw reminded the audience of
the hardships the Wayne
Westland district had facedwhile
still managing to succeed with
pre-school and after school pro-
grams along with award-winning
vocational education and train-
ing. Harmala noted that students
from the Vo-tech center have
built award-winning homes and
designed concept cars as part of
their studies.
Currently, Shaw said, the dis-
trict is one of the lowest in per
pupil funding in the state, receiv-
ing only $7,511 per student from
the state while other districts in
Birmingham and Bloomfield
receive as much as $12,000 per
student.
The Champions program,
which he and his family, along
with the Westland Community
Foundation have funded, is cru-
cial to bridging that gap.
While he and his family have
committed more than $60,000 to
the program, the popularity and
increased interest of the students
has created an opportunity for
local business and individuals to
become involved in helping
finance theChampions program.
“This is all done with private
donations. No tax money is ever
used,” Shawsaid.
“We're asking you to get
involved to help the students, but
at the same time, the benefit to
your business and the communi-
ty cannot beunderestimated.”
For more information about
the program, contact Shaw at
(734) 595-7727.
Champions
FROM PAGE 1
Busload of help
Members of the UAW Local 900 and Ford Motor Co. Michigan Assembly Plant
stuffed a bus full of school supplies which were then donated to the Family
Resource Center of the Wayne-Westland Community School District. The
resource center is located at P.D. Adams Elementary School on Palmer Road in
Westland. The center provides referrals and many services to Wayne Westland
families and this year support from local donors helped provide more than 500
backpacks full of school supplies to Wayne-Westland students. Donors, in addi-
tion to the UAW and assembly plant, Air Time Trampoline- Westland; Canton
Christian Fellowship; Jack Demmer Ford; Kirk of our Savior Church; St. Mary,
Cause of Our Joy Parish and the Westland Goodfellows contributited school sup-
plies. Superintendent of Schools Michele Harmala, center, was on hand to per-
sonally thank Ford employees for their help.
