Over recent months, the fallout from December’s revelations regarding alleged retaliatory ticketing on the part of the Cranston Police Department has been extensive.

Now, members of the City Council have turned their focus to the costs associated with multiple personnel matters tied to the tenure of former Police Chief Marco Palombo Jr. – and are warning that a price tag already put at more than half a million dollars may continue to grow.

“We’re just scratching the surface … we don’t know where we’re going with the future of this mess,” said Council President John Lanni during a July 17 meeting of the council’s Finance Committee.

“I’m aghast at this cost,” said Ward 1 Councilman Steven Stycos, who chairs the finance committee and placed the report on police costs on the night’s agenda.

The figures cited at last week’s meeting focused on the approximately $94,000 severance package Palombo received upon his March retirement, along with the costs resulting from personnel matters involving Capt. Jerry Carnevale, Capt. Todd Patalano and Capt. Karen Guilbeault.

City Finance Director Robert Strom placed the total cost of Palombo’s severance, the legal fees incurred by the city to hire special legal counsel and increased salaries for replacement personnel during administrative leaves at approximately $580,000. That figure does not include the $113,000 being sought by Patalano for his own legal representation, nor any other claims the city may pay going forward.

Stycos turned his initial attention to the payment to Palombo, who had been placed on paid leave in January when Mayor Allan Fung requested that Rhode Island State Police assign temporary leadership of the department, investigate the ticketing allegations and conduct a broader review of personnel matters and the department’s operations.

The councilman questioned the payment, given that the position of chief is not covered by the city’s contract with the police union. He asked whether any requirement exists that such a payment be made, and requested a breakdown of what Palombo’s accrued benefits would have totaled had he left employment with the city on the day he became police chief.

“Col. Palombo left under a cloud,” he said. “We have no explanation, public explanation, of the reason [Palombo retired] … It’s a sad time for the city.”

Strom and other administration officials defended the payment, saying it represented holidays and other benefits Palombo accrued during his full tenure with the Cranston department.

“This is how [departing] chiefs have always been paid out, going back X amount of years,” Strom said.

Both Patalano and Carnevale had been placed on paid leave during Palombo’s tenure, and were reinstated by state police Capt. Kevin Barry once he took the reins as the department’s acting chief. Guilbeault has alleged she was passed over for promotion and denied training due to gender discrimination.

Patalano was off duty for well over a year, and has filed a complaint with the council alleging Palombo targeted him as part of a personal vendetta. He is seeking legal fees and millions in damages. Palombo, through his attorney, has denied any wrongdoing.

Lanni was critical of the administration for failing to do its “due diligence” in terms of personnel matters within the police department.

“The sad thing about this whole thing – it could have been avoided,” he said. “It’s a sad commentary.”

Asked his response to the councilmen’s comments, Fung on Tuesday said he is looking ahead, and pointed to upcoming interviews with finalists for the chief’s position.

“I think there’s just a lot of politics involved,” he said. “It’s going to be a new day.”

Both Stycos and Ward 3 Councilman Paul Archetto did thank the administration for the thoroughness and timeliness of the information provided at the July 17 meeting.

At the request of Deputy City Solicitor Evan Kirshenbaum, the council had also scheduled an executive session for Tuesday night as a follow-up to an earlier closed meeting on police personnel matters. The agenda posted on the city’s website indicated the gathering would focus on Patalano’s potential litigation against the city.