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Probe Leaves Rowry Case Unsettled

Probe Leaves Rowry Case Unsettled image
Parent Issue
Day
25
Month
May
Year
1971
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Copyright Protected
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Donated by the Ann Arbor News. © The Ann Arbor News.
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Probe Leaves Rowry Case Unsettled

By Ron Cordray

(City Government Reporter)

After wading through a maze of unclear, ambiguous and often unwritten policies, city Grievance Officer Edward L. Vandenberg has left to the Model Cities Policy Board the final determination on charges raised against its chairman, Ezra L. Rowry.

In March, Rowry was charged of improperly receiving reimbursement from the Model Cities Program while attending conferences on behalf of that program. While attending these conferences, Rowry was also paid by his employer — the University — for either “sick” leave or vacation pay.

“The unfortunate aspect of the controversy over the propriety of Model Cities payments to the chairman for attending conferences is that it need not have happened if the Policy Board had set out a clearly defined policy,” Vandenberg said in a report.

“Instead, confusion was assured by adoption of an ambiguous policy without definition of terms, by use of a voucher form suggested by a HUD (department of Housing and Urban Development)

auditor without deciding whether the form was consistent with the policy adopted, and by further ad hoc changes without overall review and revision of the original policy,” Vandenberg said.

A story researched by The News stated Rowry had received some $416 in payments from Model Cities for attending conferences while at the same time being paid by the U-M. Vandenberg said his investigation showed $386 was paid Rowry.

Apparently, the final disposition of the matter will rest on definitions of “lost wages” adopted by the Policy Board. Generally, the Model Cities Policy Board has said it would reimburse persons attending conferences for wages actually lost.

Vandenberg said there are two definitions of wages, the general definition which would include vacation pay and sick leave pay as part of wages, and the technical definition which would include these payments as fringe benefits.

“If the Policy Board . . . defines ‘lost wages’ in general, rather than technical, terms, then it should take such actions necessary to obtain from the chairman

for payments received from Model Cities for attending conferencse for those days on which he also received payments from his employer,” Vandenberg

He also recommended that the Policy Board “should take immediate steps to develop and adopt a comprehensive policy resolution setting out the basis for reimbursement and incentive payments to persons for participating in programs and attending meetings and conferences.”

Vandenberg said he had contacted HUD officials on the matter and said they expressed no concern over the payments to Rowry. Further, he said University officials raised concerns about only six of the days Rowry called in sick while attending conferences. He said the University is questioning whether Rowry was actually unable to carry out his work assignments on these six days.

“The chairman claims that he suffers from chronic foot problems and that, from time to time, he has to be off work since his job requires him to be on his feet all day. He further claims that,

on the days he was unable to work, he was not incapacitated from attending conferences where he could remain seated most of the day,” Vandenberg said.

“The University recognizes the continuing medical problems suffered by the chairman and will accept his argument if he is able to substantiate the necessity of sick leave on the six days in question by reports from his doctor. Unless these reports are filed with the University, the personnel office will require the chairman to reimburse the University for the payments received for the six days of sick leave,” Vandenberg added.

Mayor Robert J. Harris had referred the Rowry matter to Vandenberg shortly before the April 5 City Council election. Republicans have been pressing for a report since that time, charging Harris referred it to the grievance officer to get it out of the way before the election.

Harris said he referred the matter to Vandenberg because a “complaint” had been raised by The News. (The News was not contacted during Vandenberg’s investigation).