Sandra Emerson, Staff Writer
Created: 09/12/2011 09:12:58 PM PDT
UPLAND – The City Council on Monday night agreed to accept the police chief’s request for medical retirement.
The council gave City Manager Stephen Dunn the authorization to make an offer to Steve Adams to accept his request for retirement after 10 months of being on sick leave.
“We now are tendering an offer to Steve and if he accepts it, then we’re done with it,” Dunn said.
Adams has been with the Upland Police Department for 30 years. He was promoted to police chief in 2005.
Adams’ resignation could be in effect as early as today, Dunn said.
The council held off on making a decision on Adams’ retirement claim until the conclusion of an investigation by a third-party private investigation firm.
The investigation wrapped up last month.
To read entire story, click here.
Congratulations Steve! Thanks to Steve, Congratulations Doug! (in the future, because now your case is a forgone conclusion thanks to the city council) Unbelievable!
Can someone explain to me what “Medical retirement” is? Is this a workers compensation case against the city?
City Manager and City Council,
I listened to you last night at council when you made your comments about the Sports Bar and grill. About how it is your responsibility as an elected and city official’s to insure the city is protected and does the right thing. Is this all talk? Or did you mean what you said? You need to put a stop to the below item!
Stop this reprehensible and horrible action:
How can a Fire Chief write himself a $78,163 “contract for services”, while he is still Fire Chief? Fire Chief Mike Antonucci is not due to retire until the end of September, but the Upland City Council approved a $78,163 “contract for services” for Fire Chief Michael Antonucci, before his retirement. The funds for this “contract for services” came from, is city funds that Fire Chief Michael Antonucci is directly in charge of. Is it legal for a Fire Chief in charge of city funds to use those funds (that he is in charge of) in-order to write himself a “contract for services”? Unethical? Illegal? He is in charge of the city funds used to pay for his “contract for services”.
Please investigate the below information.
Question for the people of Upland. How is it your Fire Chief can be awarded a contract for $78,163 before he has even retired from the City?
Are you not suppose to be retired for 90 days before you can be rehired, according to PERS rules?
Look at this one people. The Upland Fire Chief has been awarded a “contract for services” for $78,163 before he has even retired!
Doesn’t even sound legal being awarded a contract of $78 thousand dollars doing the same job after you retire, before you even retire.
And the contract monies comes out of the funds of the Fire Department that the Fire Chief is in charge of!
No wonder the City of Upland is in the sad position they are in!
Council Agenda 8/13/2011
“On Item #5, Staff Report dated August 13, 2011. Table #2 – “City of Upland Detailed Revenue and Appropriation Ammendments”. Page 11 of 11. Why was item 101-400-35xx-42xx Fire Chief Contract – $78,163 not addressed within the rest of the Staff report as the other positions were? Was this item hidden for approval? Why another $78,163 for the Fire Chief? Why was this item or position not addressed within the Staff Report? Once again, why was this item hidden for approval?”
Is this illegal or just non-ethical? No matter, it is wrong
City Worker – get back to work and complain on your own time, not the taxpayers dime.
@YIKES
City Manager and City Council,
I listened to you last night at council when you made your comments about the Sports Bar and grill. About how it is your responsibility as an elected and city official’s to insure the city is protected and does the right thing. Is this all talk? Or did you mean what you said? You need to put a stop to the below item!
Stop this reprehensible and horrible action:
How can a Fire Chief write himself a $78,163 “contract for services”, while he is still Fire Chief? Fire Chief Mike Antonucci is not due to retire until the end of September, but the Upland City Council approved a $78,163 “contract for services” for Fire Chief Michael Antonucci, before his retirement. The funds for this “contract for services” came from, is city funds that Fire Chief Michael Antonucci is directly in charge of. Is it legal for a Fire Chief in charge of city funds to use those funds (that he is in charge of) in-order to write himself a “contract for services”? Unethical? Illegal? He is in charge of the city funds used to pay for his “contract for services”.
Please investigate the below information.
Question for the people of Upland. How is it your Fire Chief can be awarded a contract for $78,163 before he has even retired from the City?
Are you not suppose to be retired for 90 days before you can be rehired, according to PERS rules?
Look at this one people. The Upland Fire Chief has been awarded a “contract for services” for $78,163 before he has even retired!
Doesn’t even sound legal being awarded a contract of $78 thousand dollars doing the same job after you retire, before you even retire.
And the contract monies comes out of the funds of the Fire Department that the Fire Chief is in charge of!
No wonder the City of Upland is in the sad position they are in!
Council Agenda 8/13/2011
“On Item #5, Staff Report dated August 13, 2011. Table #2 – “City of Upland Detailed Revenue and Appropriation Ammendments”. Page 11 of 11. Why was item 101-400-35xx-42xx Fire Chief Contract – $78,163 not addressed within the rest of the Staff report as the other positions were? Was this item hidden for approval? Why another $78,163 for the Fire Chief? Why was this item or position not addressed within the Staff Report? Once again, why was this item hidden for approval?”
Is this illegal or just non-ethical? No matter, it is wrong
Typical. Gutless wonders!
What the retirement means is that Upland Police Chief Steve Adams has increased his retirement take-home pay by adding an Industrial Disability Retirement to his regular retirement. Since Chief Adams is over age 50, in the Calpers system, he could just have taken a standard retirement which is calculated based on years of service and salary. That normal retirement income is TAXABLE. By adding a medical retirement, this now means that 50% of Chief Adams future retirement income from Calpers is NON-TAXABLE. If Upland does as they do in Ontario, or Fontana where there is a 9% Spike added the last year of service, that will increase his retirement take-home pay by tens of thousand a year. Shhhhhhhhhh. It’s called hush money.
Anonymous, I hope you’re wrong, but you’re probably not. It’s not their money so it’s not their problem. Only in the public sector would these kinds of idiotic, unsustainable rules and benefits be able to be implemented. If there’s not enough money to cover the overly generous benefits, no problem…..just our raise taxes. I’d love to see stats on how frequently executive-level public employees take advantage of this provision.
Anonymous, In all fairness you should do better research before you write. First of all Chief Adams is not 50 nor over 50. And second how do you see this as hush money? Its public record. Nevertheless keep up the good work on sharing false information and spreading rumors to the community.
City Manager and City Council,
I listened to you last night at council when you made your comments about the Sports Bar and grill. About how it is your responsibility as an elected and city official’s to insure the city is protected and does the right thing. Is this all talk? Or did you mean what you said? You need to put a stop to the below item!
Stop this reprehensible and horrible action:
How can a Fire Chief write himself a $78,163 “contract for services”, while he is still Fire Chief? Fire Chief Mike Antonucci is not due to retire until the end of September, but the Upland City Council approved a $78,163 “contract for services” for Fire Chief Michael Antonucci, before his retirement. The funds for this “contract for services” came from, is city funds that Fire Chief Michael Antonucci is directly in charge of. Is it legal for a Fire Chief in charge of city funds to use those funds (that he is in charge of) in-order to write himself a “contract for services”? Unethical? Illegal? He is in charge of the city funds used to pay for his “contract for services”.
Please investigate the below information.
Question for the people of Upland. How is it your Fire Chief can be awarded a contract for $78,163 before he has even retired from the City?
Are you not suppose to be retired for 90 days before you can be rehired, according to PERS rules?
Look at this one people. The Upland Fire Chief has been awarded a “contract for services” for $78,163 before he has even retired!
Doesn’t even sound legal being awarded a contract of $78 thousand dollars doing the same job after you retire, before you even retire.
And the contract monies comes out of the funds of the Fire Department that the Fire Chief is in charge of!
No wonder the City of Upland is in the sad position they are in!
Council Agenda 8/13/2011
“On Item #5, Staff Report dated August 13, 2011. Table #2 – “City of Upland Detailed Revenue and Appropriation Ammendments”. Page 11 of 11. Why was item 101-400-35xx-42xx Fire Chief Contract – $78,163 not addressed within the rest of the Staff report as the other positions were? Was this item hidden for approval? Why another $78,163 for the Fire Chief? Why was this item or position not addressed within the Staff Report? Once again, why was this item hidden for approval?”
Is this illegal or just non-ethical? No matter, it is wrong
Hmm, become a cop at 21, do 30 years of service should be 51.
In all fairness since more than once it was stated in the papers that the Chief had 30 years of service? Are they counting time as an explorer or cadet too? Yes I know that does not count towards retirement.
The medical retirment may be public record, but the reason for granting it from the closed door council meeting will not be. SOOO, there will be those who speculate based on an already questionable situation.
So does it really matter if the Chief is 48 or 49 and has to wait a year or a little more before drawing his salery? Not really!!
What is NOT false is the Chief has been on 4850 time for 9 months drawing a TAX FREE salery. In addition he has not lost any sick time or vaction time, both accounts have continued to grow.
So when those two accounts are cashed in if that’s what the City of Upland allows, ching ching. That will hold most folks over until they can draw their pension.
He’s 48. He will collect 50% of his current salary immediately and tax free for the rest of his life. When he turns 50 he will be entitled to another 20% of his current salary taxable for the rest of his life. My estimate is about 150k a year and paid medical for life as Upland Dept. Heads qualify for medical while peons get little to nada.His buyout of accrued time is in the neighborhood of 175k. Not bad!
@Pension Expert – can a person be hired immediatley on contract after retiremenet? I.e. the above with the Fire Chief.
By Sandra Emerson:
Acting Upland Police Chief Jeff Mendenhall said Police Chief Steve Adams has served honorably.
“It’s a shame that a medical condition is shortening his career and I wish him nothing but success in whatever endeavors he takes on in the future,” he said.
Mendenhall will be named Chief of Police once Adams’ retirement is official, which could be by the end of the week, said City Manager Stephen Dunn.
Adams will be retiring after a 30-year career with the Upland Police Department.
City Worker, yes but not with the medical retirement. The rehire can only happen with a non-medical retirement. There is an exemption in PERS that allows the rehire for certain qualified employees, usually dept. heads. There is a separate exemption that allows the rehire of other employees for 960 hours per fiscal year.
AntiCorruption, Please tell me you are smarter than that to believe what the news papers print. As far as your question about the chiefs age my point simply is that some people love to report things that they THINK instead of the TRUTH. Although this be a minor error please don’t be one of those foolish followers and lead with truth because YES the truth does really matter.
Wrong again, yep your right the papers do print some serious errors, but ones time of service whether it be 28,29, or 30 years is nothing to get your panties in a wad over.
Feel free at anytime to give the FACTUAL information regarding the matter, thus far your telling everyone their not to smart, but aren’t setting the record straight yourself.
SO TELL us what the truth is if you even know????
@You’re wrong… AntiCorr is a disgruntled “former” law enforcement officer who prides himself on believeing he is “in the know” in regards to City of Gracious Living. True, true, true.
@Uplandwoes – Why won’t the Upland City leaders do anything about this:
City Manager and City Council,
I listened to you last night at council when you made your comments about the Sports Bar and grill. About how it is your responsibility as an elected and city official’s to insure the city is protected and does the right thing. Is this all talk? Or did you mean what you said? You need to put a stop to the below item!
Stop this reprehensible and horrible action:
How can a Fire Chief write himself a $78,163 “contract for services”, while he is still Fire Chief? Fire Chief Mike Antonucci is not due to retire until the end of September, but the Upland City Council approved a $78,163 “contract for services” for Fire Chief Michael Antonucci, before his retirement. The funds for this “contract for services” came from, is city funds that Fire Chief Michael Antonucci is directly in charge of. Is it legal for a Fire Chief in charge of city funds to use those funds (that he is in charge of) in-order to write himself a “contract for services”? Unethical? Illegal? He is in charge of the city funds used to pay for his “contract for services”.
Please investigate the below information.
Question for the people of Upland. How is it your Fire Chief can be awarded a contract for $78,163 before he has even retired from the City?
Are you not suppose to be retired for 90 days before you can be rehired, according to PERS rules?
Look at this one people. The Upland Fire Chief has been awarded a “contract for services” for $78,163 before he has even retired!
Doesn’t even sound legal being awarded a contract of $78 thousand dollars doing the same job after you retire, before you even retire.
And the contract monies comes out of the funds of the Fire Department that the Fire Chief is in charge of!
No wonder the City of Upland is in the sad position they are in!
Council Agenda 8/13/2011
“On Item #5, Staff Report dated August 13, 2011. Table #2 – “City of Upland Detailed Revenue and Appropriation Ammendments”. Page 11 of 11. Why was item 101-400-35xx-42xx Fire Chief Contract – $78,163 not addressed within the rest of the Staff report as the other positions were? Was this item hidden for approval? Why another $78,163 for the Fire Chief? Why was this item or position not addressed within the Staff Report? Once again, why was this item hidden for approval?”
Is this illegal or just non-ethical? No matter, it is wrong
City Worker – rumor is that the DA’s office has been notified about Antonucci’s misleading of city leaders and the misappropriations of FD funds.
Uplandwoes, and your point is?
I worked with many from Upland PD, went to the academy with a couple, worked with some that left Upland PD, worked next door to Upland for 10 years assisted them as they did me. Lived in the city for 10 years.
All were good people, and yes they did and do share information. I paid attention when they talked. Some are still talking.
So feel free to tell me what I don’t know. Or are you butt hurt because I am able to break down a few issue with a little more information??
So put on your big boy pants and speak up!!!!
If Adams is only 48, he needs to see a doctor.
AntiCorruption, Settle down there little man. Seems your the only one who’s got there panties in a wad. This forum is designed for people who seek facts not gossip. Im sorry if that is so offensive to you. I will however honor your wish to provide FACTUAL information. In the mean time there is no need speak on my behalf of my opinion of other readers not being smart. Thus far Im telling you YOUR not to smart. Get some rest and try not to take things so personal… nity nite.
Doesn’t matter what the age of Mr. Adams is. He will begin collecting a disability retirement starting the day after he leaves service with Upland. Now a regular retirement has it age 50, some many years service, ect.
Just think of Social Security disability, you could be 18, and collect one….
I know of many a peace officer who retired after 10 years with a disability retirement. They collected….
@ You’re wrong again: Re; your statement to AntiCorruptionUnit, your inaccuracies are in brackets. “(Im) telling you (YOUR) not (to) smart.” Try this. “I’m telling you, you’re not too smart.”
Normally, no one would care about a few inaccuracies, but in your case, don’t demand more from others than you are willing to give yourself.
Anonymous, Thank you for the correction, Unlike you Im a big enough man to own my grammar mistake without any offense taken. As far as inaccuracies I don’t demand anything from anyone. I do however believe in having proper information before I go out to spread rumors at another person expense and I don’t believe in defaming another persons character without warrant. So you keep up on your fabulous grammar and sharing false information instead of working on becoming an honorable human being.
Mr. Dunn likes savings and numbers. Here is just one cost savings benefit for the city.
Please put a stop to this horrendous action of hiring the Fire Chief, under contract, for another 6 months. It was originally for $78,000, now it is “not to exceed” $90,000. The City could place Division Chief Cable as acting Fire Chief until her retirement date. And then place the Police Chief as interim Fire Chief until an appropriate replacement can be found (as has been done in the past). This action would have a cost savings to the city of $90,000 and would not allow the current Fire Chief to retain his position. Or, the city could implement the Police Chief as the City’s Public Safety Director.
Research item 13D of the September 26 Council Agenda.
Does it sound right to keep this Fire Chief working for the City of Upland at a payment of over $78,000? After he has already accomplished the negative, incompetent and dishonest items below.
1. Public safety at risk due to incompetnent decision making. Ladder Truck,
-Contact surrounding fire departments (Rancho, Ontario, Chino Valley) and determine if they respond ONLY a ladder truck with no fire pump for the sole piece of fire equipment for an entire response district?
2. Misappropriation of grant funding. Type IV fire engine, command vehicle, helicopter ops,
-Once again, look into the Type IV Engine. What was the justification for the grant funding purchase? Research the article in “Upland Today” spring 2010. Why is it assigned to fire station 162, which is against all CBDG rules and regulations.
-Look into all grants recieved by the Fire Department in the past five years.
3. Grove Theatre
4. Gross mismanagement of personnel.
5. Fire Captain seriuosly hurt.
-OSHA fine will be quite hefty. Pretty cut and dry on this one.
The city should not have this Fire Chief hired on an additional contract. This Fire Chief should have been fired a long time ago.
Upland woes, does “Anti Corr” cut hair now for a living?
The Barber is a different person.