Banyai offers severance deal

Talk about it

A long-standing Dickinson Police Department lieutenant may serve his last day May 31 if the Dickinson City Commission approves his severance package during a Monday evening meeting.

“They may just take it and chuck it in the garbage, too, and then it would be a moot point,” said Lt. Rod Banyai.

After the department went through a restructuring process eliminating the lieutenant position, three officers, including Banyai, Lt. Dave Wallace and Lt. Bill Leach, were offered an option to exit, and after negotiations with the city a severance package has been drafted for Banyai.

“I’m retiring is what I’m doing,” Banyai said. “They’re calling it a layoff, why, I don’t know.”

City Administrator Shawn Kessel and DPD Chief Chuck Rummel said the process was not a disciplinary measure and none of the officers had any wrongdoings, according to a previous Press article.

Prior to the reorganization, Banyai was in charge of writing grants, taking care of vehicles and drafting press releases.

After the reorganization, he was relocated to the DPD’s front window.

City Attorney Matt Kolling said Banyai offered the city a severance package that he would retire under and the city counter-offered and worked through a few scenarios, ultimately coming to an agreement.

“Leach and Banyai were the two that approached the city. We then offered the severance agreement to all three just out of fairness,” Kessel said.

Kessel said Leach declined the offer in writing, Banyai declined the initial offer and offered a “rebuttal,” and Wallace didn’t approach the city after the deadline date was due.

Banyai’s severance will not hurt city pension funds, as the officer would be taking an annuity benefit rather than a lump sum, Kessel said.

If the package is approved and Banyai retires May 31, he has employment elsewhere, he said.

“I’ll miss working with the people, and some of the duties I had, I’ll miss those,” Banyai said.

A call to Rummel went unreturned.

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