Brainerd utility staff announce resignation; charter commission to propose charter language changes

Commissioners were informed that utility employee Eric Klene submitted his resignation; the commission was told his last day will be Sept. 19 and staff requested a personnel-committee meeting to discuss options to backfill the role.

The resignation was announced during the personnel committee report; the transcript provides the departure date but does not attach a speaker name to the announcement. Commissioners asked staff to convene the personnel committee and to conduct an exit interview; HR staff indicated they will arrange that.

City administrator Broyals provided a separate update on charter-commission work at the city’s request. Broyals said the charter commission will draft language to codify a council resolution interpreting chapter 5, section 4 of the charter, will review suggested language for combining sanitary functions under one department, and will look for any additional, largely semantic, edits while the charter is “open.” He said staff will return proposed language to the charter commission within 30 days for consideration and then the council.

Commissioners discussed filling the vacant utility position and asked that the personnel committee meet to review longer-term staffing models before hiring. The HR director asked whether the commission would authorize a direct backfill (using past practice of hiring a laborer into the role) to speed the process; commissioners suggested the personnel committee should meet before finalizing that approach.

No formal personnel action was taken at the meeting; staff will follow up with the personnel committee and report back.