Posted by Shore Publishing on Aug 21 2008, 12:18 PM
By Marianne Sullivan, Source Senior Staff Writer
Saying it was inappropriate to discuss “at this time,” the Board of Police Commissioners last week unanimously tabled any action on the retirement proposal presented to it by Police Chief Paul Jakubson.
Last month Jakubson, who has been on paid administrative leave since late April, sent a retirement proposal to the commission. At 58 years of age and with 34 years of service in the Police Department, Jakubson can retire at any time with the benefits provided for in his contract. The proposal, presented through a letter from his attorney, seeks additional “enhancements,” town officials said.
Jakubson, who has served as chief of the department for 10 years, remains on leave as the Connecticut State Police take over the Madison department’s internal affairs investigation of him. There are also investigations being conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and by forensic accountants. The investigations remain open and no charges have been filed.
Police Commission Chair Emile Geisenheimer, at last week’s meeting, acknowledged, “The commission has received a proposal from Chief Jakubson to retire now. This is very unusual and normally not something we would be discussing in public.”
Newspapers, however, had filed Freedom of Information requests asking to see the document. Town Attorney William Clendenen contacted Jakubson and Jakubson did not object to making the proposal public, Geisenheimer explained.
“The proposal has been discussed in the press and in public. Once that happened, the commission felt it was appropriate to discuss in public. This is not a kangaroo court,” he said.
He then went on to recommend the commission table any action on Jakubson’s proposal.
“I believe this is an inappropriate time to discuss enhancing the retirement of a person under investigation. The investigations underway are still incomplete. No charges have been filed, no hearings have been held by this commission. Until these actions are concluded, in my opinion, it would be inappropriate for this commission to vote on this matter,” Geisenheimer said.
The four other commissioners agreed with little additional comment and the matter was tabled.
Jakubson’s proposal came as a surprise to town officials who, in early July, said they had not heard a word from him regarding possible retirement. While his attorney, in his letter to the commission, says the proposal “is based, where appropriate, on the compensation and fringe benefits Chief Jakubson currently receives,” town officials continue to refer to the offer as “an enhancement” of his benefits. The projected costs of Jakubson’s offer, however, have not been made public.
In his proposal, Jakubson is seeking continued health benefits for himself and his wife, a structured settlement of his heart and hypertension claim, a recalculation of his pension to include his heart and hypertension payment, and maintenance of his $100,000 life insurance policy.