BOARD SAYS BONUSES VIOLATE DIRECTIVE.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Daily News Staff Writer

Ousted Antelope Valley Hospital administrator Bob Harenski gave four top administrators nearly $80,000 in bonuses in violation of a board directive, hospital directors said Thursday.

Three of the four have returned the bonuses, which ranged from $18,000 to $20,000 and were given shortly before Harenski was placed on administrative leave in July, officials said.

Harenski, who was ousted by the board in September in a $275,000 buyout, granted the 15 percent incentive payments to the then-chief financial officer and three vice presidents despite a board directive that it would have to approve such a move, board members said.

Harenski granted the bonuses shortly before the board placed him on the paid administrative leave, director Steve Fox said.

Then-Chief Financial Officer Bob Anderson, who is now the acting chief executive officer, and Vice Presidents Geneva Dingus and Donna Meyer, returned the money, board members said. Dr. N.L. Saxton, vice president of medical affairs, did not, officials said.

Anderson said Harenski had the authority to grant bonuses based on administrative staff meeting certain goals and objectives.

``At the time, the administrative staff got together and talked about not so much the legal aspect but what was the board's intent,'' Anderson said. ``It was the board's intent not to give us a raise.''

Anderson said Harenski had given out administrative staff bonuses in 1997.

The board was scheduled at Wednesday's meeting to consider a recommendation that the bonuses be given back, but the item was tabled.

``There were some questions that came up that we didn't have answers to,'' said director Larry Chimbole, who added he couldn't elaborate. ``In view of the fact there were only four members there, it seemed the better part of wisdom to put it over. There's a philosophy that exists now that the board should have a better hand, particularly in the affairs of upper echelon employees.''

Board Chairman Dr. John Manning was absent.

Fox said the postponement was connected to Tuesday's election, in which incumbent Shirley Sayles is vying with four candidates for two board seats.

``It was withdrawn strictly for political reasons. They knew it would be bad timing before the election,'' Fox said.

Fox, who with Sayles constitute the board's two-person finance committee, said he abstained in the committee recommendation to return the bonuses. Sayles voted for it, he said.

Sayles said she found out about the bonuses after the three administrators gave them back. She said board members had told Harenski that they wanted to be informed before bonuses were awarded.

``The administrative staff gave it back because it became a political football,'' Sayles said. ``We made it clear that we wanted these things passed by us. We communicated to (Harenski) that we wanted to know what was happening before he did it.''