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Birchwood to pay outgoing city administrator through Feb. 7 and seek resident input before hiring replacement
Summary
The council accepted the resignation of City Administrator Rebecca Kellen and approved a final paycheck through Feb. 7, 2025; it also authorized the Personnel committee to post the administrator vacancy after collecting staff and resident input on desired duties and hours.
The Birchwood Village Council moved on multiple personnel items after announcing the resignation of City Administrator Rebecca Kellen effective Jan. 28, 2025. Council members approved a motion to pay Kellen through her stated last date of service (Feb. 7, 2025), including payout for vacation, sick time and ESS; the motion carried.
Council also approved a separate resolution directing the Personnel committee to post the City Administrator vacancy (resolution 20256) once the committee has solicited input from staff and residents on the role’s priorities and hours. Council members discussed outreach methods (email blast, Survey Monkey, newsletter item) and asked staff to provide current job descriptions for review before posting.
The payout motion prompted legal questions from City Attorney Alan, who advised council members about the limits of severance and referenced the "public purpose" doctrine and Minnesota statutes governing severance payments. Alan urged care with additional payouts beyond the employee’s last date of service and recommended documenting the decision; the council discussed options and directed staff to include a cover letter explaining the payment. The council voted to approve the final paycheck through Feb. 7 and to proceed with the Personnel committee posting after gathering feedback.
