By: Hannah Vahl , Staff writer
08/14/2008
MADISON - Suspended Police Chief Paul Jakubson's retirement proposal is asking for $600 a week as a structured settlement of his heart and hypertension claim.
He is also asking that the $84,227 permanent partial disability award count towards his pension, which would boost it by $21,000 annually. That inclusion would bring his total annual pension, based on 75 percent earning of the average of his last three years of pay, to about $90,000 a year.
These and other requests were made in a retirement proposal submitted by his lawyer, John J. Kelly, dated July 16.
The retirement proposal was released through a Freedom of Information Act. Jakubson had a statutory right to object to the release of the retirement proposal, but he did not.
Kelly declined to comment, other than to point out, "My client did not oppose the Freedom of Information request. We have nothing to hide."
Jakubson has been suspended since April 29, and an investigation into his office is ongoing. The Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms is investigating the Madison Police Department, as are state police. Five members of the department have been fired for charges ranging from stealing from a local business to consorting with prostitutes to worker's compensation fraud. None of the officers has been criminally convicted, though two face charges in Superior Court.
Jakubson, 58, has lead the department as its chief for 10 years. He has worked in the department for 34 years.
Jakubson pays into his own pension plan, with the most recent figure, in a summary of his contract dated March of 2007, at 7.5 percent of his base salary, which was $91,631 in 2006.
In the proposal, Kelly writes about counting the $84,227 towards Jakubson's pension, "Assuming the pension is fully funded, no money would be paid by the town."
John Galiette, a stockholder at Reid and Riege, P.C. in Hartford, specializes in public pension plans. Presented with the retirement proposal, Galiette said, "A lot of times, they are posturing. Everyone initially puts forward the moon, but that doesn't mean that's where it's going to end up." Other requests include: maintaining a $100,000 life insurance policy for Jakubson after he retires, for the town to commit to a "hold harmless" agreement should either his group health plan or Medicare refuse to pay for heart/hypertension related issues as a result of a retirement settlement, and that Jakubson's pension benefits will not be reduced should he end up receiving workers compensation for a cervical injury.
According to a summary of benefits and compensation from Jakubson's contract, if any claim he makes is denied by the Board of Police Commissioners, he can appeal to the Board of Selectmen and then the American Arbitration Association.
Board of Police Commissioners Chairman Emile Geisenheimer said he would wait until their Aug. 14 meeting to comment on the retirement proposal.
Hannah Vahl can be reached at 458-5751 or hvahl@ctcentral.com
©Shore Line Times 2008