CAPE MAY - Former city manager Lou Corea has filed a lawsuit in New Jersey Superior Court against the city seeking full payment of his contract as well as damages and attorney fees. Corea is seeking a jury trial and about $200,000 in remaining pay and sick time. His contract was scheduled to run through 2010. The problem started over the Memorial Day weekend when Police Chief Diane Sorantino authorized Code Enforcement officers to shut down the patios of Cucina Rosa Restaurant and Dairy Queen, both in the 300 block of the Washington Street Mall, for failure to obtain the necessary patio permits. The merchants themselves challenged whether or not their permits were still in force, given new ordiannces which had recently been passed. Corea alleges he did not authorize the shut downs but supported Chief Sorantino’s decision and that he was forced, by city council to “selectively enforce ordinances.”
The lawsuit names the city as a defendant along with all five members of City Council and two former members, David Craig and Jerry Inderwies, who were on council June 16 when Corea was fired. Two of the new members of council, Mayor Ed Mahaney and Councilwoman Terri Swain, did not take office until July 1 but were still named in the suit. The suit also names three members of council who span both administrations, including Niels Favre, Linda Steenrod and David Kurkowski.
Corea was hired by the city in 2000 as an administrator and took the manager position in 2004 after the government was changed to the council-manager form. Corea said former Mayor Inderwies was never happy about losing power after the government change and helped orchestrate his removal from office.
Corea’s contract ran through Jan 31, 2010, but the city so far has only agreed to give him 90 days’ pay, which Corea said runs out Sept. 15. He is seeking about $200,000 in remaining pay and sick time.
