COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The Michigan South Central Power Agency and General Manager Paul Beckhusen have a reached a separation agreement which was approved on a 5-0 vote by the MSCPA Board of Commissioners during a special meeting Wednesday and was effective immediately.
Beckhusen said in a written statement following the meeting that, “I am very proud of my accomplishments while leading Michigan South Central. I am confident that if provided the support and resources, myself and the MSCPA staff would have accomplished all of the strategic initiatives set forth by the MSCPA Board of Commissioners. Though disappointed, I will use this experience to grow professionally and personally in the next phase of my career.”
The Board of Commissioners voted 5-0 back in June not to renew Beckhusen’s contract after it expired on June 30, 2020.
Under terms of his original contract, Beckhusen would have been entitled to 14-months of severance pay, which would have given him a total of $500,000 that would cover the final year of his contract in addition to the severance money. Under the separation agreement, Beckhusen would get a total of $278,000, which covers $240,000 in pay and $38,000 in accumulated sick time and vacation time.
Coldwater Board of Public Utilities Director Jeff Budd says Beckhusen’s departure does not affect the CBPU’s ability to provide power nor does it affect the utility’s daily operations.
Beckhusen has been the General Manager of the Michigan South Central Power Agency since November 2017 when Glen White retired.
His tenure was dogged by the controversial purchase in the fall of 2016 of the former Sauk Trail Trading Post building on South Division by the Coldwater B.P.U.. Beckhusen was the CBPU Director at the time of the transaction.
MSCPA. board members Chris Mathis of Union City and David Mackie of Hillsdale raised numerous concerns about the cost of the building and what they felt was a lack of transparency on Beckhusen’s part.
