Tarentum Council approves separation agreement with police sergeant
A Tarentum police sergeant will be paid just over $17,000 under a separation agreement and general release that borough council approved Thursday.
Sgt. Ryan Hanford’s retirement was effective Thursday.
Hanford, 44, has been a police officer for 25 years, including 22 with Tarentum.
He had been on administrative leave for about two months, Borough Manager Michael Nestico said.
Nestico, who said he did not know Hanford well, said Hanford should be thanked for his time and dedication to the borough.
“It’s a shame to see him go,” Nestico said before council voted 5-0, with one abstention, to approve the agreement. Newly appointed Councilman Brian Snyder abstained; Councilman Tim Cornuet was absent.
Hanford did not attend the meeting. Reached at his Brackenridge home prior to the meeting, Hanford said he is retiring because it was time for him to move on.
Hanford said he went on leave to care for his fiancée, who is suffering from cancer.
He expressed gratitude to former police Chief Dave Sieber and former Mayors James Wolf and Carl Magnetta.
“Tarentum will always be in my heart,” he said. “I was grateful to work there all that time.”
According to the agreement, before withholdings, Hanford will be paid about $13,900 for eight 40-hour weeks at his hourly rate of $34.82.
He will also receive about $1,950 for 56 vacation hours and about $1,400 for 40 personal leave hours, also before withholdings.
The borough will pay the cost of continuing Hanford’s health insurance coverage for March and April. The exact cost was not specified in the agreement.
According to the agreement, Hanford will exercise his option to a vested retirement benefit, for which he’ll be eligible at age 50.
The borough does not admit to any wrongdoing leading to or prompting the separation agreement, and agrees to provide a neutral reference for Hanford when asked by prospective employers that would include only his dates of employment and last job held.
Hanford and the borough’s management and elected officials agreed not to make any disparaging or defamatory comments about each other.
Hanford can revoke the agreement within seven days.
Brian Rittmeyer is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Brian at 724-226-4701, brittmeyer@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BCRittmeyer.
Brian C. Rittmeyer, a Pittsburgh native and graduate of Penn State University's Schreyer Honors College, has been with the Trib since December 2000. He can be reached at brittmeyer@triblive.com.
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