Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Governance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bremer County resident alleges 'fraudulent' hiring and urges legislative change
Summary
Public comment by Chris Holthouse accused the Bremer County Emergency Management Commission of approving a fraudulent letter of qualifications, urged legislators to lower education requirements for a recent hire, and named county officials he said were involved; no direct response from those officials is recorded in the transcript.
During public comment the board received a detailed accusation from Chris Holthouse, who said he previously attended a Nov. 20 meeting of the Bremer County Emergency Management Commission and that the commission and county attorney approved what he called a "fraudulent letter of qualifications." He said the commission later asked members to add their names to a letter to state legislators seeking to lower education requirements so one hire would qualify.
"Darius Robinson, county attorney, presented a fraudulent letter of qualifications," Holthouse told the board, and he said commission co‑chair Mark Anderson had drafted a letter urging legislators to "grandfather into compliance" the person hired, whom Holthouse named as Aaron Guttenbauer. Holthouse said the actions increased the county’s potential legal exposure and accused commission members of concealment.
The transcript records Holthouse's allegations and his characterization of the commission's conduct, but it does not include a direct response from the commission members named or from the county attorney during the meeting. The board did not take formal action on the allegations at that time.
Because the statements are accusations, they are presented here as reported in the public comment period, without editorialization or independent verification.
