Share: 

Dewey, Appelbaum to part ways

Town manager agrees to leave Friday, Oct. 20
October 17, 2017

Story Location:
1 Dagsworthy Ave.
Dewey Beach, DE 19971
United States

After a little more than five years, and about six months short of his contract’s expiration, Dewey Beach Town Manager Marc Appelbaum’s last day on the job will be Friday, Oct. 20.

During their regularly scheduled council meeting, Oct. 14, town commissioners voted unanimously in favor of Mayor TJ Redefer entering into a separation agreement with Appelbaum.

The move comes months after police Chief Sam Mackert, beach patrol Capt. Todd Fritchman, building inspector Bill Mears, and more than a dozen current and former employees, publicly complained Appelbaum had created a toxic work environment during his tenure as town manager.

Paid for by the town, an investigation into the allegations by attorney Max Walton revealed some complaints had merit, but it also said many were overblown and made as an act of retaliation against Appelbaum. At the conclusion of the investigation, Walton wrote he did not find grounds to dismiss Appelbaum. He recommended Appelbaum be formally reprimanded and required to complete training in anti-harassment and anti-discrimination.

Rather than have the issue linger, the town and Appelbaum were able to reach an agreement to part ways.

Neither Redefer or Appelbaum would discuss the details of the separation agreement.

Redefer said they are normally private.

Appelbaum said he’s just interested in doing what’s best for the town, and that he’s glad to be moving on. He has been town manager since being hired on a 6-month interim basis in August 2012. He signed his first two-year contract with the town in February 2013 and, after a year of delay, his second in March 2016. The current contract was set to expire March 11, 2018.

Prior to calling roll during the recent meeting, Redefer said he was confident Appelbaum, who was in attendance, and his attorney were not fans of the agreement.

Following the meeting, Redefer said he shouldn’t have commented on how anyone feels about the agreement.

What I do know is that the process was difficult, and that the only winner in this separation agreement is the town, if we are able to use this opportunity as a place to begin again,” he wrote in an Oct. 15 email.

Appelbaum said he was satisfied with the agreement. Otherwise, he said, he wouldn’t have agreed to it.

Redefer said no one has been selected as temporary town manager. He said discussions are underway, and it is his hope the temporary town manager will be well received. He said details will be figured out this week regarding the reporting structure for administrative staff and town department heads during the search for a new town manager.

“The search for a new town manager could take some time, and I believe it is important that we take the time to find the best qualified candidate,” he said.

Walton’s report did more than just look into allegations against Appelbaum; it also revealed a number of specific issues Walton said the town should remedy as quickly as possible – one of them an unaccounted-for slush fund used by the police department to pay for equipping police vehicles.

Redefer said Commissioners Gary Persinger and Courtney Riordan have agreed to review and develop constructive recommendations for the commissioners.

Town committees under review

The separation agreement was the most significant item on the commissioners agenda, but it wasn’t the only one.

This was the first commissioners meeting since the town’s organizational meeting Sept. 23, which meant it was also time to begin reviewing committees.

Redefer said he would like to see the creation of a budget and finance committee, an adopt-a-dune committee, and a charter and code review committee. He said he also thought the trash and recycling committee and the comprehensive development plan working group had accomplished what they set out to do.

Redefer said commissioners will make a final decision on dissolving or creating new committees during the Saturday, Nov. 11 meeting.

 

Subscribe to the CapeGazette.com Daily Newsletter