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Council accepts public utilities director resignation, approves interim leadership and posts resignation letter online
Summary
Brainerd City Council accepted the resignation of Public Utilities Director Christopher Evans, voted to post his resignation letter in the online packet, and authorized staff to seek an interim public utilities director while allowing division managers to report to the city administrator in the short term.
The Brainerd City Council accepted the resignation of Public Utilities Director Christopher Evans, effective April 4, 2025, and approved steps to secure interim leadership for the Public Utilities Department.
During the Personnel & Finance committee report, Chair Gabe Johnson presented a motion to accept Evans' resignation. Council members debated whether Evans' March resignation letter should be included in the public packet and available in the meeting room for public review. City Attorney Joel Langel advised that, while many documents are public records, inclusion in a packet is not automatically required by the open-meeting law. The council voted 5-2 to accept the resignation and later voted to add Evans' resignation letter to the online packet.
Why it matters: The resignation triggered immediate personnel and continuity decisions for the utilities department. Council also voted to authorize staff to search for an interim public utilities director to help manage outstanding integration and operational issues, and it authorized the city to backfill key positions internally where appropriate.
Key votes and next steps: The council voted 5-2 to accept the resignation (Yes: Bevins, Johnson, Stunich, Yeager, O'Day; No: Chesak, Erickson). The council then voted to include Evans' resignation letter in the online packet; that motion passed. On the hiring front, council directed staff to recruit an interim public utilities director; that motion passed 6-1 (No: Chesak). Committee chair Gabe Johnson said division managers could report to City Administrator Nick Broyles in the short term while the council and staff evaluate longer-term options.
The Council also approved a related motion to allow the public utilities department to proceed with internal personnel moves (a voluntary demotion, backfill approvals and hiring authorizations) that staff said will keep operations staffed while leadership decisions are finalized.
Council members emphasized workplace-health follow-up. Council Member Gabe Johnson said that the employee policy manual provides avenues for staff to raise workplace concerns, while Council Member Chesak and others said public access to resignation materials is important for transparency. The council authorized staff to post the resignation letter online and to begin a search for an interim director; staff will return with details on candidates and any recommended external search.
