Earning $120,000 in Hampton and $83,325 in Newport News, John Quarstein says he’s living up to obligations.
By Sabine Hirschauer
January 28, 2008
NEWPORT NEWS’ – — City historian John Quarstein, who was supposed to retire in November after signing up to become Hampton’s historian, said last week that he won’t officially leave Newport News until the end of February.
“My intention was all along to retire,” Quarstein said. “But I was not able to wrap things up.”
Quarstein’s contract with Hampton started in mid-November. Since then and continuing through February, he’ll work two full-time, 40-hour jobs and draw two paychecks.
Hampton last year agreed to pay Quarstein $120,000 a year, which he said includes about $36,000 for an assistant. He earns $83,325 annually in Newport News.
“I was trying to get everything somewhat organized,” said the 54-year-old local historian. “I am not trying to cheat anyone. I am trying to live up to my obligations, which I feel very strongly about. … I wanted to make both transitions very, very positive.”
Among other things, he said he’s still trying to organize the move of the Lee Hall train depot about 100 feet across the tracks in north Newport News to turn it into a transportation museum.
Quarstein began working for Newport News on Aug. 7, 1978.
He serves today as administrator of Museums and Historic Services for the city.
Usually working 14- to 16-hour days and six to seven days a week, Quarstein said attending to the two full-time jobs has been easy.
“I am a workaholic,” he said. “I just don’t sleep a lot.”
Holding two similar 40-hours, full-time jobs — even as a supervisor — is not against city policy, his boss said.
“The only thing he is obligated to do for the city of Newport News is …. he owes the city his 40-plus hours committed to city work,” said Michael Poplawski, director of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. “Anything he does above and beyond that has to be off the city’s work schedule.”
It would be against city policy if Quarstein couldn’t work at least 40 hours, or if the quality of his work slipped, which Poplawski said he hasn’t noticed.
After retiring, Quarstein said, he will contract with Newport News to spend 10 to 15 hours a week working for the city.
Newport News also owes Quarstein about 700 hours of vacation, which “they have to pay me for,” Quarstein said.
Based on Quarstein’s annual salary, that’s about $28,000 before taxes.
Quarstein said he will use one to two weeks of vacation in February.
According to city records, Quarstein has retirement credits for about 32 years, primarily because some city employees can exchange excess hours in paid leave for early retirement.
Newport News is preparing to advertise for his job.
Deep Creek Pier 