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West Jordan City is poised to pay resigned City Attorney Jeff Robinson a $103,000 settlement of any legal claims the lawyer might have against the city.
The lump-sum payment — representing nearly a full year's salary — is up for approval Wednesday night, according to the City Council agenda.
City spokeswoman Kim Wells cautioned that the settlement is not final until approved by the council and signed by Robinson.
"It is not a totally done deal yet," she said Tuesday, declining further comment.
Robinson did not return a call requesting comment.
Chief legal officer for the city since 2008, Robinson was escorted from his office by Police Chief Doug Diamond on April 20 at the direction of Mayor Kim Rolfe and placed on paid leave for undisclosed reasons. He has not returned to work since, although he has continued to receive his salary and benefits.
The ouster occurred the same day Rolfe turned documents over to the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office, seeking an investigation into the hiring of former city Councilman Justin Stoker as a deputy public works director.
City Council members balked at Robinson's unexplained suspension and disputed Rolfe's legal authority to order it, spurring prolonged behind-closed-doors negotiations with Robinson. Interim City Manager Bryce Haderlie invited Robinson to return to work in June, but he declined, promptly responding with a resignation letter the city has declined to make public.
Robinson's annual salary was $117,362, according to public records last updated in 2012. He also received benefits valued at just over $30,000.
The settlement agreement drafted for council action says that in exchange for the payment of $103,000, Robinson waives any claim he might have against the city for a long list of potential grievances, including wrongful discharge, breach of contract, infliction of emotional distress, libel and slander.
The city also would designate Robinson's departure as a resignation and promise not to disparage him. Robinson, for his part, also would agree to not disparage the city.
Also on Wednesday's agenda is the appointment of businessman Mark Palesh as city manager with a proposed annual salary of $160,000. Once on the job, it would be his call to name a new city attorney.
If the Robinson settlement is approved, it would be the second big severance payout by the city and the third funded by West Jordan-area taxpayers in 14 months.
In August 2014, former City Manager Rick Davis was given a package worth nearly $200,000 following his abrupt and unexplained resignation. A month earlier, the board of Jordan School District — which covers a much larger area than the city — voted to buy former Deputy Superintendent Burke Jolley out of his contract, a package worth at least $500,000. Under that agreement, made amid threats of a district split, the district agreed to pay Jolley $193,379 in salary and bonuses over 11 months, benefits until he's eligible for full Social Security benefits and retirement service credit conservatively estimated at $235,000 or more.
The resignations of Davis and Robinson have helped fuel nasty infighting and dissension among City Council members — with disagreements sometimes devolving into name-calling or even threatened sanctions.
Late last month, Rolfe went to court to seek a restraining order barring the City Council from slashing his salary by a proposed 90 percent, from $89,500 to just under $10,000, and from shrinking the duties assigned him as a full-time mayor by city ordinance.
Third District Judge Ryan Harris denied the order, saying it would be improper for him to wade into what was essentially a political dispute.
The council backed away from taking the threatened action, however, pulling the proposed pay and duty reductions from its agenda.