Monterey Regional Park District’s general manager faces firing after an unusually public kerfuffle.

As of Monday, Dec. 9, when the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District’s board came out of closed session just before 11pm, General Manager Rafael Payan has been put on administrative leave. He will remain on leave until the board meets again Jan. 6.

The announcement out of the closed session meeting – which went on for about three hours, following an emotionally charged public meeting of nearly three hours – was regarding an evaluation of Payan’s performance as general manager. “The board has unanimously voted to give notice of intent to terminate the contract of… Payan for performance reasons,” the announcement stated. “The board voted unanimously to put… Payan on administrative leave effective immediately.”

The board named its administrative services manager, Shuran Parker, as interim general manager.

Personnel matters are generally discussed by public agencies in closed doors, out of the public eye. But before the board deliberated privately, the matter was discussed publicly, per Payan’s request.

Repeatedly, through the course of the public testimony, board members emphasized that Payan didn’t cooperate with the district’s counsel during a recent investigation into a complaint made by a district employee about Payan’s conduct.

Neither the findings of the investigation, its allegations or the identity of the complaining party are a matter of public record, but what was put on record, through words spoken during the meeting, was that the allegations in a district employee’s complaint about Payan were substantiated.

Board members repeatedly said Payan did not cooperate with attorneys – both the district’s and outside counsel – over the course of the investigation.

Defending himself, Payan, who was allowed to speak at length during the meeting, said repeatedly that there was a “chasm” between the public’s perception of his performance compared to the board’s assessment of his performance which, they ultimately made clear, was not high. Payan said, “I have been discriminated against all my life… I know what this feels like.” He added, “There are very few days in the year that I have an entire day off… I don’t understand what the urgency is.”

Payan – who did not respond to comment for this story – implied there might be a racial aspect to the board’s disciplinary action against him, though he provided no evidence that was the case.

Kelly Sorenson, who’s served on the board for 12 years and who is resigning this month when his current term ends (he did not run for reelection), seemed to sum up the board’s sentiments when he said, “I thought [Payan] was a great hire at the time, but I’ve lost trust in him.”

At the end of the meeting’s open session, the board unanimously voted to dock Payan one week of pay, effective immediately. Aside from that one week, he will still get paid during his administrative leave. It was a sad final chapter to Payan’s time with the district, where he’s served as general manager for 11 years.

His tenure has been marked by events that include acquisition of a portion of the Rancho Cañada golf course, which is now part of Palo Corona Regional Park. The district later came under fire for allowing part of the course to be bulldozed for a cross country track.