Quincy mayor reassigns city planning director

Mayor Thomas Koch is trying to demote Dennis Harrington – the city's planning director and a key player in the Quincy Center revitalization project – after Harrington received reduced work hours for health reasons, according to documents sent to the city council Wednesday.

QUINCY

    Mayor Thomas Koch has demoted Dennis Harrington – the city’s planning director and a key player in the Quincy Center revitalization project – after Harrington was approved to work reduced hours for health reasons, according to documents sent to the city council Wednesday.

    But Harrington says Koch doesn’t have the authority to remove him from the position.

    “I will not accept such an unlawful reassignment,” Harrington wrote in a letter to Koch on Wednesday. “I intend to remain Director of Planning and Community Development until I vacate my appointed position or I am removed with the approval of the Quincy City Council.”

    Koch wrote in a letter to Harrington on Tuesday that he is appointing James Fatseas, the mayor’s chief of staff, to serve as the city’s interim planning director while Harrington is reassigned to the role of director of transportation planning. Koch told Harrington the reassignment, which doesn’t include a change in pay or benefits, is a result of Harrington asking and receiving a reduced work schedule, to 15 hours per week, in Family and Medical Leave Act request.

    “The volume and complexity of the projects coming before the city for the foreseeable future will require energy and attention, which I understand you will be unable to devote to the work,” Koch wrote to Harrington. “An interim director is the best solution in this circumstance.”

    At-large City Councilor Doug Gutro, one of three candidates challenging Koch in this year’s mayoral election and the chairman of the city council’s downtown committee, called Koch’s reassignment of Harrington an “outrageous power grab.”

    Gutro said Harrington’s reassignment is a direct retaliation to Harrington voicing concerns over Koch’s new plan for downtown redevelopment. In June, Harrington said Koch’s new plan didn’t have enough open space for the public.

    “It’ll take more than a few apartment buildings” to revitalize downtown, Harrington said during a June 22 city council meeting to discuss Koch’s new urban renewal plan.

    “For the mayor to remove the only truth-teller on downtown issues in the administration is chilling,” Gutro said.

    Gutro also questioned the legality of Koch reassigning Harrington without a city council vote.

    City Solicitor James Timmins said Gutro’s comments are politically motivated.

    “It’s really unconscionable to turn this into something for one’s own political gain,” Timmins said. “The mayor’s letter is quite clear that this about addressing (health) issues raised by Dennis and making sure the planning department functions correctly.”

    Timmins said Koch has a lot of respect for Harrington and that Harrington will continue working on city projects that he was involved with previously.

Source: patriotledger.com

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