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Murray County board selects outside investigator, restores HR director amid employment probe
Summary
After moving into closed session to address preliminary allegations involving two employees, the Murray County Board on Oct. 2 approved Flaherty & Hood, P.A. as outside investigators, authorized the chair to sign the engagement, restored HR Director Sharon Giese to work and appointed representatives for a Step 3 grievance.
The Murray County Board of Commissioners moved into a closed session during its Oct. 2 meeting to address preliminary allegations involving two county employees and later authorized an outside investigation and multiple personnel actions.
Board Chair Dennis Welgraven read a statement saying he had been advised by legal counsel that some items should be discussed in closed session. The board then approved a motion to enter closed session under Minnesota Statutes section 13D.05; the minutes record the motion passed. After reconvening in open session the board said it had elected to initiate an investigation to further review issues raised in a prior evaluation discussion of the county administrator.
County Board Attorney John Edison presented two investigator options: Wiley Riber Law and Flaherty & Hood, P.A. The board discussed rates, travel time and investigative processes and voted to approve Flaherty & Hood, P.A. as the investigator. The board also authorized Chair Dennis Welgraven to sign the Flaherty & Hood engagement letter.
The board approved Human Resources Director Sharon Giese’s request to return to work effective immediately and authorized Chair Welgraven and Commissioner Mark Carlson to work with legal counsel to provide the board’s expectations for Giese moving forward as discussed in closed session.
On a separate personnel‑labor item, County Board Attorney Edison advised the board that a pending Step 3 grievance filed by ASME related to a holiday‑pay policy change required the board to name representatives for a Step 3 response. The board first appointed Dennis Welgraven as its Step 3 representative; Commissioner Loy Woelber moved to amend the appointment to include both Welgraven and Roger Zins as representatives and the amended motion passed.
The minutes do not record findings from the closed session, the substance of the preliminary allegations, or any investigative terms beyond the selection and engagement authorization. The board recorded that the Step 3 grievance could proceed to mediation if unresolved. The meeting then adjourned.
The selections and personnel actions were recorded in the meeting minutes; the transcript does not identify the two employees mentioned in the closed‑session agenda item or provide details of the preliminary allegations.
