Norwich ― City Manager John Salomone hopes to eventually retire from his current job, but not yet.

The City Council Monday voted unanimously to approve several amendments to Salomone’s contract that provide incentives for the 71-year-old city manager to remain in office past Dec. 31 with no set date for his retirement. The changes are the first amendments to Salomone’s contract since he was hired and began work on Feb. 1, 2016.

Salomone said at the time of his hiring, he told the City Council he hoped to stay for five years.

“You can’t predict beyond that, and I well exceeded that,” Salomone said Tuesday. “So, I felt my commitment was there. I love the community. I love Norwich. I plan on living in Norwich after I retire. There are so many interesting things going on in Norwich right now, with economic development and the arts.”

Salomone led the city through the COVID-19 pandemic, and the City Council accepted most of his proposed uses for the city’s $28 million American Rescue Plan Act grant spending plan, including human services, economic development, affordable housing and funding for arts programs.

Salomone said he wants to keep track of the projects and programs that were funded to make sure they stay on track. If some projects are stalled, he wants to make sure the city recaptures the money and reallocates it before the deadline to use them expires.

Salomone asked the City Council in September to amend his contract with additional benefits to remain in the position. The council discussed the request, combined with “a little evaluation,” Salomone said, in executive session at two meetings. He said he was looking for unanimous support from the council for the changes, which the council approved with no comments during its public session Monday.

The changes give Salomone a fifth week of vacation time and allow him to carry over up to one week of vacation time to the following year. Upon retirement, the city would pay for premiums on a $100,000 life insurance policy and pay out any unused vacation time and up to 20 days of unused sick time.

His budgeted salary remains at $171,000. Salomone receives the same raises as department heads.

Salomone said the benefits all are items granted to other city department heads, except the life insurance policy, which is higher than normal. But he said the other provisions are “much lower” than those provided to department heads. For example, he said, he will get to cash out 20 sick days upon retirement, while other city department heads get 80 days.

His vacation time is the maximum allowed in city contracts, Salomone said.

Mayor Peter Nystrom said the amendments give Salomone “short-term gains,” until he decides to retire and the added vacation will give him “more quality time” with his family as he continues working.

“That’s how I look at it,” Nystrom said.

c.bessette@theday.com