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West Jordan has invited City Attorney Jeff Robinson to return to the job two months after he was abruptly escorted from his office and placed on paid leave for undisclosed reasons.

"We have extended the invitation to Mr. Robinson to return to work," acting City Manager Bryce Haderlie said Friday. "We've not had a response. That's obviously up to Mr. Robinson to decide what he wants to do at this point in time."

Robinson's return is anything but certain.

City officials behind closed doors have for several weeks been negotiating terms of a possible severance package for Robinson, the city's lead attorney since 2008. As with many issues these days in Utah's fourth-largest city, the discussions have at times devolved into nasty bickering among government leaders.

Heated words were exchanged in a June 12 meeting involving Haderlie, Mayor Kim Rolfe, two council members and an attorney working for the city. Rolfe stormed out of the meeting, angry because he believed he had been cut out of settlement talks and the council's hand-picked lead negotiator was being undermined by interference from another attorney for the city.

"I have had a gut full," Rolfe said at one point, according to a partial transcript obtained by The Tribune.

The proposed separation agreement with Robinson, should he decline to return to work, involves not only some portion of his salary, but a non-disparagement clause, an agreement not to sue the city, a proposed news release dispelling any notion that he was under investigation and a glowing letter of recommendation.

Councilman Ben Southworth hopes that Robinson returns, but said he would "be surprised" if he does, given the way he was treated.

At the very least, Southworth said Friday, he hopes the city can negotiate an agreement that will prevent a lawsuit.

"What happened was pretty egregious and was clearly a violation of state and city law, the way Jeff was treated," Southworth said. "He knows that. He's a savvy enough attorney and he knows he's been wronged."

Robinson on April 20 was removed from his office and told by Police Chief Doug Diamond he was being placed on administrative leave. Rolfe, who directed the action, said he was following through on the will of a majority of the City Council, on which he serves as a member.

But other members, including Southworth, dispute that. Pointing to state and city code that puts the city manager in charge of administrative affairs, including hiring and firing, they say the mayor was acting outside of his authority.

Rolfe, who has repeatedly denied abusing the power of his office, did not respond to a request for comment Friday.

The same day Robinson was escorted out of city offices, the mayor turned over documents to the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office seeking an investigation into the hiring of former Councilman Justin Stoker as West Jordan public works deputy director. Also that day, it emerged that the Davis County attorney's office was looking into other matters in city government.

The review was mentioned by Councilman Jeff Haaga and two private attorneys ­— one representing Justice Court Judge Ronald Kunz and the other working on a civil lawsuit brought against the city by former police officer Aaron Jensen. Rawlings' office has repeatedly declined to comment publicly on whether he is investigating the city or the scope of such a probe.

But Haderlie said Friday that the city now has an email from Rawlings indicating Robinson is not under investigation, Haderlie said.

"Everybody keeps saying, 'Is Jeff Robinson under investigation?' This DA [Rawlings] is indicating that Jeff Robinson is not involved in that or part of that," Haderlie said.

"That's been part of the confusion of this whole thing, whether there was a legitimate reason to have Mr. Robinson off [on leave], and so by this Wednesday we came to the conclusion that there was not and we just said, "Hey Jeff, come back to work,' " Haderlie said. "There's not been any discipline, not been any type of action against Jeff whatsoever."