Retired Medford police officer Chuck Steinberg expressed concern Thursday to the City Council over a private meeting scheduled to discuss a complaint about City Manager Mike Dyal.

Steinberg told the council "it’s just kind of odd" that the council would discuss the complaint against the city manager but not allow the complainants to attend the executive session.

"I’m trying to find out how you’re reviewing complaints," he said.

Mayor Gary Wheeler told Steinberg that Springfield attorney Robert Franz would make a presentation to the council in the closed session and that pending litigation prevented council members from saying more.

Steinberg’s comments were among many addressed to the council by retirees in recent months on the topic of retiree health insurance and the city manager’s decision to discontinue offering the city’s plan to retirees.

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In September, retired city attorney Ron Doyle filed a notice of intent to sue, accusing the city of breaking state law by denying continued insurance to some retirees. Eight other retirees from the city of Medford have filed similar claims, and several have addressed the council requesting a change in insurance coverage.

Franz, a Springfield attorney, was hired by the city’s liability-insurance company to "evaluate, investigate and defend if necessary" possible lawsuits against the city over the retiree-health-insurance issue.

The council met in a closed session Thursday following the noon meeting, but did not make any public decision or announcement following the meeting.

Another executive session, the fifth on the topics of health insurance and the complaint against Dyal, is scheduled for Feb. 9 following the noon council study session.

The state’s public-meetings law allows closed executive sessions for specified reasons, among them to consider disciplining or dismissing a public officer and to discuss pending or potential litigation.

Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail mlanders@mailtribune.com.

City hopes to expedite annexations

Scott Sinner, a Medford land-use planner, asked the City Council Thursday to help speed up an annexation process that has ground to a near halt.

Councilman Jason Anderson said he, too, had heard complaints from landowners wishing to have property annexed into the city. He said there was a perception that an unofficial "annexation moratorium" was in place as new staff members in the Planning Department were being trained.

Rob Scott, the city’s planning director, confirmed that the process is currently "low priority" for the department, and said the department hoped to hire a part-time employee to help out.

Anderson suggested the hiring should be expedited because some property owners currently must wait two years to have property annexed into the city.

"A two-year process is not acceptable," said Anderson.

In other business, the council modified a decision by the planning commission and approved a request by the developers of Vista Pointe, a planned development on East McAndrews, allowing deviation from the parking standard. The city Planning Commission had upheld the city’s parking requirement for a congregate care facility, and developers requested the flexibility to have fewer parking spaces if warranted, based on the argument that senior residents and patients rely on automobiles less than the general population.