Arlington Heights park director inks separation agreement
Arlington Heights' park director — already on a leave of absence since late October — is out after less than three years in the job, officials said Wednesday.
Rick Hanetho, who was hired as the Arlington Heights Park District executive director in June 2016, inked a separation agreement and general release with the park board, which approved the document on a 5-0 vote Tuesday night.
The deal entitles him to a lump-sum payout of $95,000 on May 1 — equivalent to half his $190,000 annual base salary. The district also agreed to pay six more months of his health insurance premiums, should he decide to stay on the district health plan.
Park board president Maryfran Leno declined to say why Hanetho is leaving or why he's been out of the office since October.
Hanetho, who is 55, couldn't be reached for comment. His last official day on the job, per the agreement, was March 22.
“He wanted to retire soon, and the district decided to ensure a smooth transition and to avoid any issues regarding his and the park district's rights, we felt it was in the best interest to work with Rick so he'd be able to retire now,” Leno said.
Hanetho, hired in Arlington Heights in 2016 after eight years at the helm of the Northbrook Park District, had a three-year contract that included a one-year rollover clause allowing the agreement to continue unless the park board interceded. Months ago, the board exercised its right to have the contract terminated at the end of June 2021, Leno said.
Sometime after, Hanetho expressed his wish to retire from the park district, though Leno said she is unaware if Hanetho plans to take a job elsewhere.
When asked her opinion of Hanetho's job performance, Leno said she generally couldn't discuss it since it is a personnel matter.
“Overall I think the park district has done very well with his leadership over the last three years,” Leno said. “Obviously we're under construction with Olympic (park and pool) and moving forward, but anything other than that would be a personnel matter.”
Steve Scholten, who led the park district from 2008 to 2016, will continue as interim executive director at a salary of $1,800 a week. His appointment by the park board in January originally was set to last only until the time Hanetho returned.
Now, Scholten will remain in the role for the foreseeable future while the $17 million Olympic renovation project continues.
“We have not started talking about timelines or even what the method is going to be,” Leno said of finding a permanent replacement. “This is going to be a long-term process.”