NORWICH – City officials passed a motion to accept the resignation of Human Resource Director Deborah DeForest at the joint committees meeting on Tuesday, after she was placed on paid administrative leave and a private investigator was hired to review work in the office.

According to City of Norwich Mayor Christine Carnrike, DeForest emailed notification of her retirement, effective June 10, to the mayor and city council on May 23.

At the Tuesday meeting, Carnrike said, “...in reviewing the department head handbook, and reaching out to both New York State, [DeForest] has not filed for retirement which had to be done, so this is considered a resignation to accept a new job with a private sector.”

On Wednesday, DeForest declined comment on the matter.

The sole member of the city’s Human Resource Department, DeForest has been on paid administrative leave since April 23. Since then, the city hired a private sector investigator from Broome County with municipal human resource and civil service experience to execute a review of the city’s human resource administration.

On Wednesday Carnrike said she was not able to comment on the findings of the investigation, but said “...basically we had someone come in and just give us an overall review, and just basically from the outset it was apparent that we were not keeping up with changes in, you know, human resources.”

Alderman Ward 1 Matthew Caldwell made a motion Tuesday to accept DeForest’s resignation and to send it to city council, which was seconded by Alderman Ward 5 David Zieno.

The first vote to send a motion for DeForest’s resignation to the common council failed to get enough support from committee members.

Initially, Alderman Ward 2 Brian Doliver and Alderwoman Ward 4 Linda Kays-Biviano abstained from voting, and with Alderman Ward 3 John Deierlein and Alderman Ward 6 Robert Jeffrey absent, council members noted the motion would not pass without the majority of the body’s support––or the four votes of the alderpersons present.