Hoover council to consider money for executive director transition Monday

The Hoover City Council on Monday plans to vote on a measure that would allow Executive Director Allen Pate’s replacement to go ahead and start work in conjunction with the new mayor, Frank Brocato.

Pate, who announced his retirement last week, will be moving out of the office at the end of October, but, due to vacation and built-up leave time, his retirement doesn’t officially take effect until the end of January.

Brocato takes over as mayor on Nov. 7 and said he would like to have someone in place at that time who could take over Pate’s duties.

However, since Pate will still officially be on the payroll, the council is considering a budget amendment that would allow someone to be hired on a temporary basis until the executive director position is officially open.

Brocato said he has someone in mind to fill the job and will announce his name once the council approves the temporary position and the person has a chance to properly notify his current employer.

Brocato said he has faith in the personnel at city hall but chose to look outside the city’s current staff to fill the executive director job.

“I felt like it was important to get a fresh set of eyes on it — somebody to look at it a bit differently than we’ve been looking at it,” Brocato said. “I just felt like it was important for me to bring someone in that was my choice from the beginning and someone that shares the vision I have and can fill Allen’s shoes and do the things he was doing. I found this individual, and I hope it’s going to work out.”

It will be helpful to have the new executive director start before Pate is officially gone, Brocato said. While Pate won’t be in the office, he will be available to come into the office or provide advice as needed, Brocato said.

“Allen’s been here 29 years. There’s so much information he’s blessed to have,” Brocato said.

Technically, the budget amendment authorizes the city to pay up to $116,500 in salary and benefits over six months for the temporary position. However, the temporary status may not last that long, Hoover Finance Director Robert Yeager said.

The salary for the new hire would amount to $188,000 a year, Yeager said. That will be the salary for the new executive director once that job is officially filled, Brocato said. Pate makes $204,000 a year, Yeager said.

In other business Monday, the Hoover City Council is scheduled to consider:

• Adoption of a $1.2 million budget for getting the $80 million sports complex next to Hoover Metropolitan Stadium ready to open, as well as a management and operations budget for the facility once it opens. Read more about the budget projections for the first five years.
• A construction agreement with the Alabama Department of Transportation regarding improvements at the intersection of South Shades Crest Road, Eden Ridge Drive and Shades Run Circle.
• The appeal of a lawsuit judgment regarding litigation with Covenant Bank.
• A proposal to authorize Mayor Gary Ivey to negotiate a contract with Landscape Workshop for landscape maintenance services, with the cost not to exceed $282,132.
• A proposal to cut the weeds and/or high grass at 2308 Empire Road and charge the owner of the property for the work due to the property being a public nuisance.

The Hoover City Council meets at 6 p.m. at the Hoover Municipal Center at 100 Municipal Lane.