Dennis Reno

City officials, Reno make no comment to City Manager’s announcement



Newport Municipal Airport Director Dennis Reno was reinstated slightly more than seven months ago after successfully fending off former City Manager Allen O’Neal’s efforts to terminate him, but current City Manager Jim Voetberg is giving it another go.

A Thursday press release from Voetberg’s office states that “the City of Newport is releasing Dennis Reno from his employment contract with the city, effective Nov. 1, 2009.”

O’Neal placed Reno on paid administrative leave with intent to terminate on Nov. 14, 2008. He was reinstated last March after retaining Portland employment law attorney Andrew Altschul.

Although O’Neal issued several press releases detailing Reno’s transgressions, Voetberg was not as forthcoming, replying, “No comment,” to all questions from the News-Times.

Voetberg’s press release states that while the city undergoes the process to recruit a new airport manager, interim Finance Director Ross Schultz will provide financial and personnel oversight.

The Oregon Department of Aviation has offered to provide on-site technical assistance as requested, he said.

Newport Mayor Bill Bain and City Councilor Patricia Patrick both replied, “No comment,” when asked about Voetberg’s decision.

Reno did not return News-Times phone calls, but airport patron Wally Sherman said that although he had not been instructed to say anything, Reno had asked Sherman to call [the News-Times].

“Dennis and I are friends, and we have discussed the situation,” Sherman said. “I believe Dennis is relieved. He has been suffering from medical problems, which his doctor diagnosed as stress-related.

“Dennis has been undergoing persistent and systematic persecution from the city since his return to work. He has been instructed to complete difficult or impossible work or make-work assignments designed to create a workload that is impossible for him and his staff to complete.”

Sherman said that he had personally seen examples of that himself.

“I believe the city manager has engaged in a campaign to drive Dennis from the job,” Sherman said.

Reno didn’t go public with his troubles because he signed a non-retaliation agreement as a condition of his reinstatement.

“The current city manager has a similar statement that he would like Dennis to sign now, but it’s my understanding that Dennis will not sign it,” Sherman said.

Sherman said Voetberg called Reno into the city manager’s office late Wednesday afternoon, and told him that he was being terminated without cause.

“Dennis has discussed the situation with his attorney and others,” Sherman said. “Until he knows what direction he is going to proceed, he’s going to follow counsel’s advice and not comment.

“But he told me he has less sympathy for the city this time than he did the first time. Dennis’ son lives in Newport and Dennis has determined he’s going to be a part of his son’s life.”

O’Neal issued press releases stating that Reno had padded his 7-year-old resume with an unearned degree, and had been collecting insurance benefits for his partner, Newport Planning Commissioner Dawn Newman, although the couple were not married.

O’Neal didn’t mention that he and then-City Attorney Gary Firestone had been attempting to negotiate a repayment plan with Reno and his attorney since early October, a month before he was placed on leave.

“In my dealings with the city, terminating Dennis over his insurance coverage was never the issue,” Altschul said at the time. “The focus was always on how much was owed, if anything, and repayment arrangements.”



Contact Kate Rowland at krowlandstayton@gmail.com.



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