ADMINISTRATOR'S PAY REQUEST IRKS HOSPITAL BOARD.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Daily News Staff Writer

Antelope Valley Hospital Administrator Bob Harenski has launched an opening salvo in contract talks with the hospital board, asking for a four-year contract that could pay him up to $511,225 a year.

But two directors said they want to offer Harenski less than that, and a third said he opposes renewing the contract for Harenski, who was hired in January 1993 for $180,000 a year.

``There's no way that he'll get that. He knows that,'' said director Dr. John Manning. ``If it's a bargaining position, he knows the market rate, and the market rate is considerably less. It's an opening gambit.''

Most of the five board members have indicated they want to cut Harenski's pay - projected at $536,000 this year - after a consultant compared it with hospital administrators' pay elsewhere and said it may be excessive. The consultant, James Finkelstein, said he could not determine a justification for some of Harenski's past raises. He also called the practice of granting Harenski paid time off in lieu of salary hikes ``unprecedented and inappropriate'' and suggested a competitive compensation package - salary plus benefits and retirement - would range from $340,000 to $385,000.

The contract for Harenski, who runs the 350-bed, 1,710-employee facility, will expire in January.

Harenski is seeking a base salary of $325,000 plus an incentive plan that would award him a bonus of up to 20 percent on an annual basis, records show.

In addition, Harenski has asked for an $800-a-month car allowance, a $500-a-month expense allowance, and 676 hours of paid time off - more than 16 weeks - that if cashed in would add $105,625 to his compensation, records show.

Board chairwoman Shirley Sayles outlined Harenski's demands in a Nov. 12 memo to the board, and stated, ``We need to keep the process moving as quickly as possible. You will hear from (chief financial officer) Bob Anderson that our bond insurer is nervous because (Harenski's) contract expires in six weeks. They could deny insurance if we do not complete the contract process quickly.''

The board is scheduled to meet Wednesday to discuss Harenski's contract.

Director Steve Fox, who has clashed with Harenski, said the job of chief executive officer of the hospital doesn't warrant a half-million-dollar salary.

``After my dealings with Mr. Harenski over the last five years, I'm voting no on any type of contract,'' Fox said.

Director Larry Chimbole said he is leaning toward offering Harenski $250,000 to $275,000 in base pay.

``What I'm looking for is what the market is for that kind of job,'' Chimbole said. ``It's surprisingly high, a lot more than what I would have anticipated.''

Sayles said Harenski's contract will reflect what's being paid to other hospital CEOs, as indicated in 10 salary surveys that the board will consult. She declined to say what that range was.

``Until we get to the point of actually having something that's meaningful, I'm not going to spend a lot of time running numbers,'' Sayles said. ``From my perspective, if and when he is offered a contract, it's going to reflect market conditions. We have all kinds of market surveys and it will be within that.''

Harenski's 1997 salary consists of $280,000 in base salary plus $104,000 in retirement benefits. He also got $70,000 in an incentive bonus for the hospital's improved financial status, and $81,200 in other perks such as car allowance and paid time off.

There also is a question as to whether Harenski's contract actually ends in January. Apparently, there was an amendment to Harenski's contract about three years ago that extended it another year, Manning and Sayles said.

``That has been questioned as to its legality,'' Sayles said.