The Riverside City Council announced Tuesday evening that City Manager Mike Futrell would part ways with the city in the coming weeks and that it had approved a settlement agreement with Futrell’s wife, and local business owner, Susan Freeman.
“Last night, I voluntarily stepped down as the city manager of Riverside as part of a mutually agreed upon leadership transition,” Futrell said in a Wednesday morning social media post. “I am proud of what our team accomplished together and deeply grateful to Riverside’s dedicated employees, community partners and residents.”
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His resignation came as the council was scheduled to discuss a performance evaluation and potential disciplinary action during closed session, according to the agenda.
The council unanimously approved an agreement that placed Futrell on paid administrative leave until July 5, according to Councilmember Steven Robillard who reported the action during the June 16 city council meeting. The agreement includes a lump sum severance payment equivalent to nine months regular salary, retirement contributions and one month of health benefits.
“The agreement, approved by council, represents a mutually agreed transition that we believe is in the best interest of the city,” Robillard said at a June 17 press conference held at Riverside City Hall. “It provides an orderly leadership change while ensuring continuity of operations for our residents, businesses and employees.”
During the press conference, Robillard added Assistant City Manager Edward Enriquez would take over the role on an interim basis as the city began the process to find its next city manager.
Earlier this year, Futrell announced he would be leaving Riverside to take the city manager job in Pasadena. Ten days later, Freeman announced in a social media post Futrell would not be taking the job after all, and the couple would stay in Riverside.
Following the announcement that he would stay, the council discussed his performance in a May 5 closed session, but ultimately took no action. Prior to the closed session, Futrell addressed allegations made in a December 11 letter circulated on social media in early April and, according to Futrell, sent to Pasadena’s mayor.
In the letter, the council asked Freeman to “immediately stop all harassing forms of communication directed at/to any city of Riverside employee,” though it did not include any specific instances of allegations. Both Freeman and Futrell denied the allegations made in the letter.
The city, in response to an early-April request from The Record, declined to elaborate further citing employee privacy rights.
The letter, signed by Councilmember Chuck Conder on behalf of the entire council, was issued a week after Freeman sent a letter to the council in which she wrote that her social media posts were protected speech.
“They are grounded in decades of research, scholarship, and professional expertise,” she wrote. “No public official or governmental body has the legal or ethical right to censor me, directly or indirectly.”
Freeman, through her attorney, filed a pre-litigation tort government claim last week alleging the city retaliated against her when it sent that December 11 letter, violating her constitutional rights in the process.
The council also discussed the claim last night in closed session, according to its agenda. Interim City Attorney Rebecca McKee-Reimbold, at the end of the meeting, reported the council unanimously approved a non-monetary settlement agreement with Freeman that mutually waived all claims. Conder abstained from the vote.
“She released all claims against the city,” McKee-Reimbold said, “in exchange with the city releasing all claims against her.”
Freeman confirmed she signed the settlement agreement Wednesday through a social media post.
“I am choosing to move forward with peace, dignity and gratitude for the many people who showed kindness and support during an extraordinarily difficult time,” Freeman said. “This experience has tested me, changed me and reminded me of the importance of standing firmly in one’s truth while also recognizing when it is time to close a door.”
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