MEA board offers to settle with two former employees

The board of directors of the Matanuska Electric Association voted to offer a settlement of $50,000 to two former employees who have sued MEA over severance pay.In April, MEA assistant general manager Tuckerman Babcock and director of information technology Bruce Scott were fired by then-general manager Wayne Carmony. Carmony was directed by the board to fire the two managers.

In June, Babcock and Scott filed a lawsuit against MEA arguing that they deserve severance pay and that they are entitled to two years worth of salary and benefits as spelled out in their contracts.

On Tuesday, in a closed special session, the MEA board of directors discussed the case. After coming out of the executive session, the board voted 5 to 2 in favor of directing MEA’s attorney to offer both Babcock and Scott $50,000 each to settle the case.

According to court documents, the case is scheduled to go to trial on November 29 at the Palmer courthouse.

MEA officials and Susan Orlansky, the attorney for Babcock and Scott, declined to comment.