ROCKLAND, Maine — The city’s longtime harbor master will retire in a little more than three months.
Ed Glaser submitted his retirement letter to City Manager James Chaousis on Thursday. The retirement is effective Feb. 1.
“We’ve worked very hard over the past 12 years to run a welcoming, busy and economically diverse harbor. If we didn’t make things better, at least we didn’t get in the way of allowing the harbor to get better on its own,” Glaser stated in the letter. “I’m proud of what we’ve seen in Rockland. At its core, a harbor master’s job is to ensure the smooth operation of the harbor and I think for the most part, we’ve accomplished that.”
He told the city manager that he was willing to help the next harbor master in the transition.
Glaser also has filed an appeal of a weeklong unpaid suspension imposed on him last week by the city manager.
If the appeal is successful, Glaser could get the week’s pay and remove the disciplinary action from his personnel file.
The manager has not given a reason for the suspension, citing the confidentiality of personnel matters.
Glaser has said he was accused of acting unprofessionally, a claim he disputes.
This was the second time that Glaser has been placed on suspension by the city manager. In June, Chaousis placed the veteran city employee on paid leave for four days, reinstating him in time for the annual Rockland Lobster Boat Races.
That paid leave came in the wake of Glaser clashing with councilors over their wanting to raise harbor fees. Glaser had opposed the hike.
Glaser has been harbor master in Rockland since February 2004. He had served previously as a schooner captain.