Thursday, April 28, 2011
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Clifford Scott
YOUNGSTOWN
The Youngstown Metropolitan Housing Authority board of commissioners has reinstated its executive director, Clifford Scott, to active status.
Scott had been on paid administrative leave from his $93,840-a-year post since March 3. His contract continues through April 30, 2014, with no pay increases scheduled during that time.
The board imposed the leave because Scott granted what the board said were unauthorized employee pay increases.
In August 2009, Scott sent the commissioners a memo informing them of his intention to grant a 1.5 percent cost-of-living pay raise to all authority employees except himself, effective Oct. 2 of that year.
Scott said his decision to act without board approval was based on practices of the last two directors and an interim director.
Nathaniel Pinkard, board chairman, would not explain the board’s reasons for reinstating Scott at a special meeting Wednesday, except to say that it had concluded its investigation of the pay increases. He declined to discuss the findings of the probe.
“After the board concluded its investigation, we welcomed Mr. Scott back to active duty, and we look forward to working with him and moving the YMHA forward,” Pinkard said.
Scott said he looks forward to completing major construction and renovation projects at six of the authority’s 10 housing developments, including a $10 million complete renovation at the Brier Hill Annex and the $22 million demolition and replacement of the remaining Westlake Terrace buildings.
“There’s a lot of work that needs to be done, and I’m glad that we came to a resolution on this, and we can move forward,” Scott said of his reinstatement.
Scott said he expects to relocate about 100 remaining households at Westlake to other public housing within the next 60 to 90 days and hopes to have Westlake’s remaining 1940-vintage buildings demolished by year’s end.
The board also approved a new three-year labor contract with the 39-member American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 288, which represents its maintenance and clerical workers and assistant managers.
The contract, which was earlier ratified by the union members, includes 1.5 percent annual pay raises. The maintenance workers’ average salary is about $35,500 a year. The average annual salary in the combined clerical and assistant manager group is about $34,000, Scott said.
The board’s votes to reinstate Scott and ratify the AFSCME contract were 4-0, with board member Laverne Dennis absent.
Carmelita Douglas, who was interim deputy director during Scott’s leave, returned to her previous position as internal audit director.