Newall: Ex-PPA boss got 'extraordinary' deal — at schools' expense

Remember this fall, when we imagined the Philadelphia Parking Authority's instruction manual for handling sexual harassment? You know, just follow the Three Ds: demean, deny, and dash.

Turns out, there's a real employee manual. And Vincent J. Fenerty Jr., who retired last year after an illustrious career of booting cars and groping women, figured out how to use it to cushion his retirement with a plush taxpayer-funded pillow.

There's much we can learn from the former executive director, specifically about how to squeeze every last penny from an authority meant to be helping the city's catastrophically struggling school district.

So, listen up.

Before Fenerty's behavior was brought to light here — how he sexually harassed two women over the course of five years, how he paid $30,000 to cover the cost of one investigation, how the agency offered another victim a $150,000 settlement — Fenerty was making a $223,000 salary.

When he resigned in September he carted away a $158,628-a-year pension, the fattest of any city employee, never mind one who left in disgrace.

But here's where Mr. Fenerty's true genius shines through.

As my colleague William Bender reported this week, Fenerty managed to wring a belated Christmas present from the PPA in the form of a $227,228 payout for unused administrative leave, comp time, sick days, and vacation time.

Fenerty cashed in 1,000 hours in vacation time — a half year's worth! For unused vacation alone, Fenerty pocketed $120,752.31.

While the agency's payments to the school district have steadily declined — about $3 million less than expected in recent years — Fenerty grows rich. Genius.

Next, comp time. And here's a life lesson, folks.

What do you do when the employee handbook — the real one — says that you, as head of a $243 million, 1,111-person agency, are not eligible for compensation for extra hours worked?

Easy, you eye the next sentence of the handbook.

Turns out employees of your rank can get comp time, but only under "extraordinary circumstances."

Does allegedly unhooking an employee's bra at a work event or trying to pull her shirt down, or sticking your tongue in her ear count as "extraordinary circumstances?" Does trying to kiss a senior director at an overnight work trip or writing her creepy love letters qualify?

And in times of "extraordinary circumstances" who decides whether comp time is merited?

Here, the handbook is clear: Fenerty, himself.

Pop a High Life. You've just pocketed another $33,000 of that taxpayer-funded money — for nearly 300 hours of "extraordinary circumstances."

I like to kid about imaginary manuals. But truth is, why make them up when the parking authority's real one is bad enough?

When I called the agency to ask how Fenerty managed to pile up so much comp time, a spokesman offered two examples of "extraordinary circumstances" that netted Fenerty hundreds of hours:

First, a 2005 fire at the authority's headquarters, when Fenerty was still a deputy executive director. His old boss approved that payment.

Then, in 2014, when the agency relocated its headquarters to Market Street. For the move, Fenerty's buddy, PPA Board Chair Joseph Ashdale, signed off on 118.5 hours of comp time.

And that was after the board already knew Fenerty had sexually harassed one woman.

So when Fenerty had to help put out the fires and handle the big problems we paid him thousands more to do his job.

A PPA spokesman says the agency has reexamined the policy since Fenerty's exit, and will ensure that comp time be awarded only for real emergencies. Fenerty might not be the only one cashing in.

"The policy has been waived in many circumstances which are not emergencies," read an internal PPA memo, announcing the new enforcement.

It's too late for the taxpayer and the schools.

State Auditor General Eugene DePasquale promised action Wednesday, a full audit into Fenerty's latest payday and the policies that allowed it. The auditor called the payments "egregious and inappropriate."

Yes, General. Highly.

Maybe now we'll finally rewrite the PPA's handbook.

Because that's the real problem: it didn't take much for Fenerty to figure out how to get rich.

All he had to do was follow the rules right there in front of him.

mnewall@phillynews.com

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