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By TOM RUE
MONTICELLO - Former Monticello manager Bill Cummings wanted $12,000 in severance pay. Since trustees voted 4-1 not to give it to him on May 4, after he quit, he's threatening to sue for $45,000.
An issue raised in his claim stems from a March 21 directive by the board -- communicated through mayor Bob Friedland -- to give advance notice of his travel plans.
Cummings says Friedland was "meddling."
Deputy mayor Mike Levinson attributed the rule to a trip Cummings and police chief Mike Brennan took to Dallas, Texas.
The trip was never board approved.
Hotel invoices reveal Cummings and Brennan registered under the Northeast League, of which Cummings is an official. Cummings said they did this to save $50.
They were reimbursed by the village for two rooms, December 2-4, meals and travel expenses. League president Denise Byrd said Cummings and Brennan went to Dallas to attend the 1994 Annual Baseball Winter Meetings.
"There are a lot of reasons why people go there," said Byrd. "There were employment opportunities. Bill and Mike were interviewing people for the Newburgh team," she said, recalling that she witnessed some of the interviewing take place.
Cummings disputed Byrd's observation of his activities in Dallas, adding, "Denise should be shot for saying stupid s--t!"
He is managing partner of the minor league baseball team. He receives stock dividends based on team profits, he said.
Cummings said he spent December 3 "at a presentation about sports liability issues." Brennan claimed to be "on my own" most of his time in Dallas.
In March, Cummings was criticized for drafting a contract with the Sullivan Mountain Lions. Attorney Martin Miller represented the baseball team, as well as being village attorney.
Cummings said Brennan "...went on his own. He was looking for a couple days off." Brennan went to help "push the village," Cummings claimed, though neither could point to specific results the trip produced for Monticello.
Brennan said he took a vacation day on December 2. Tickets show the pair left Newark Airport at 12:45 P.M. Friday, returning 8:20 P.M. Sunday.
Cummings said he invited Brennan because business groups "had serious concerns over Monticello's crime rates. God, everybody I talked to had concerns about Monticello!" Cummings exclaimed.
With Cummings away, the village was without an executive for the three-day weekend. Under a policy issued by Cummings, when he was unavailable Brennan would respond to all emergencies. When both were absent, Schop was next in the chain.
Schop said she knew Cummings was out of state, but "had no idea" Brennan was gone too, until after his return.
Friedland said he first learned the officials were in Texas on December 3, when Brennan did not show up at a local anti-drug abuse function where he was expected.
Neither Brennan nor Cummings expected to be reimbursed. Later, Brennan said, Cummings told him the board approved reimbursement.
"The board was under the impression he was taking the trip on his own," said trustee Gary Sommers.
Sommers blamed Friedland for suggesting the village pay for the trip. "I hate to sound like I'm assassinating him here, but the mayor was the one who said if you're going down on village business, we'll pay for it," said Sommers.
Friedland denied this.
A voucher for $1299.27 to Brennan was approved by trustees Sommers and Gloria Cahalan. Schop said she was told the check -- paid December 21 -- was later split between Brennan and Cummings, though issued just to Brennan.
Funds came from an account earmarked for police training, said treasurer Robin Seward, who said part was later charged back to the manager's "conferences" line.
The budget allows $4000 per year for police training, and $885 for the manager to attend conferences. Training allocations came up recently when Brennan said there were no funds in his budget for sensitivity training for village officials.
Cummings said he and Brennan spent their time in the sunbelt "developing the idea of establishing a sports authority," to include the Monticello Raceway, similar to the Meadowlands.
Cummings admitted he received no directive from the board to pursue the sports authority idea, but was instructed to try and attract new businesses to the area. "Because that was the general policy, I went off on my own on this one," he said.
"I really didn't want to raise this much hell much hell," said Cummings in a phone call to his home May 11, "All I want is my severance pay."
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