In the more than 11 years that Nabar Martinez led Redlands as its city manager, he virtually dictated the terms in all of the city’s contracts, including those with himself.
At one point, he put into his employment contract that the city would provide him and two of his children lifetime medical coverage. Subsequently, after the city got around to firing him in 2018, city officials came to consider that the part about his two children being eligible for lifetime medical benefits might not only have been a bad idea, it was not binding.
It appears now, however, that a deal is a deal, and Redlands will more than likely be paying for Enrique Anatoly Maryshev-Martinez’s and Marianna Valentina Marysheva Martinez’s medical coverage well into the latter part of the 21st Century.
On August 8, the city and Martinez came before Judge Donna Gunnell Garza for a pretrial hearing on a $1.5 million lawsuit Nabar Martinez, Enrique Anatoly Maryshev-Martinez and Marianna Valentina Marysheva Martinez have filed against the city alleging breach of contract, fraud and negligent misrepresentation. At the gist of the suit, which was filed in April, is the contention by Martinez and his two children that they are owed lifetime medical and dental benefits or an economic equivalent, and that the city is seeking to skip out on that commitment.
The city filed a demurrer on June 19, maintaining the suit did not state a sufficient factual basis for the claims.
Judge Garza agreed with the city in regard to the fraud and negligent misrepresentation elements of the case, but let stand the breach of contract cause of action.  She said she would still give Martinez’s attorney, Sanford Kassel, an opportunity to amend the complaint within the next 30 days and reallege fraud and negligent misrepresentation with greater specificity, but that those elements would need to undergo a steep challenge which would involve making convincing showings of proof if those elements of the case are to proceed.
In the meantime, the breach of contract element is progressing toward trial.
Martinez, who began as Redlands City Manager in 2007 and was suspended in October 2018, was fired for unstated reasons in November 2018, upon which he was provided with a primary severance package that was to be equal to 15 months of his salary and benefits, which included his own health coverage but not that for his son and daughter. Further additions to his severance boosted his payout from the city in 2018 to more than $890,000.
Martinez deemed that insufficient, and he sued.
-M.G.