Council Extends City Manager's Tenure

In a move that some city residents say could increase the power of the city's chief administrator to a dangerous level, the City Council last night voted 7-1 to extend City Manager Robert W. Healy's contract until 1993.

Included in the three-year extension is a controversial "buyout" clause that requires the city to pay Healy's salary even if the council removes him from his post.

Healy is one of only five employees hired directly by the council. Critics of the clause have said it would increase the power of an unelected official to shape policy by providing the city with a strong financial incentive not to fire him.

Councillor David E. Sullivan, the only council member to oppose the extension, said he could not support the contract because of the buyout clause, but added that he approved of Healy's performance.

With more than four years left on Healy's contract, Sullivan said he estimated that the city could lose as much as $500,000 if it were to remove Healy.

"This clause in this contract is simply unconscionable," said Sullivan, noting that the city charter prohibits "granting tenure" to the manager. "It gives away the store."

In place of the buyout clause, Sullivan proposed an amendment that would offer Healy a six-month settlement in the event he cannot continue the job. The council defeated the amendment 4-3, with Sullivan, Councillor Francis H. Duehay '55 and Vice-Mayor Alice K. Wolf voting for it.

Healy is generally considered a competent fiscal manager. At a performance review last week, several councillors praised his efforts to put the city on sound financial ground.

Protecting Neighborhoods

But several city residents have complained that in promoting new development, Healy has often failed to protect residential areas.

Wolf said that in the past, Healy had not worked well with neighborhood groups. But she said she approved the contract extension because the need for capable management outweighed such considerations.

"With financial trouble at the federal and state level, I believe that the city has very rough times ahead, and I believe that the management of the city needs to be very united and very stable to do the best we can for our people," Wolf said.

Mayor Alfred E. Vellucci said that while he disliked contracts, which hindered city negotiations with the school system, he supported the extension.

"Personally, I'm against all contracts--personally," said Vellucci. "But since we're on a kick here of granting contracts, let's go with it."

Water, Water Everywhere

The council also endorsed a proposal from State Sen. Michael J. Barrett '70 to amend a state water protection act to include Cambridge reservoirs.

Currently, the Watershed Protection Act includes Boston reservoirs, but omits Cambridge's main water supply at Hobbs Brook and Stony Brook, Barrett said. Since Cambridge would draw on other sources of water in the area in the event of a shortage, Barrett said the measure could also affect several neighboring towns.

"As a practical matter, the failure of the Cambridge water system would represent a crisis for all of Greater Boston," said Barrett.

In other business, the City Council:

.Urged the U.S. Congress not to take any action limiting Social Security or Medicare benefits.

.Resolved that "the city manager and all city employees rededicate themselves to go the 'extra mile' in dealing with others." The move was prompted by President Bush's campaign pledge for a "kinder and gentler" nation, the order said.