Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Governance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Baxter council adopts rules for staff meetings after investigator finds no clear legal harassment
Summary
After an independent investigator reported "not clear evidence of harassment under applicable law," the Baxter City Council voted unanimously Feb. 23 to require scheduled staff appointments and that meetings between elected officials and staff include at least three people, and to arrange mandatory governance training.
Mayor Daniel Kunkel and the Baxter City Council on Feb. 23 heard an independent investigator27s report that found no clear legal evidence of harassment and unanimously approved new rules for meetings between elected officials and staff.
Independent investigator Eric Updegraff presented his findings and recommendations to the council, emphasizing confidentiality and stating there was "not clear evidence of harassment under applicable law." Updegraff urged the council to adopt changes including mandatory training for elected officials and staff, a review and clarification of applicable ordinances and city policies, and procedural steps to reduce one-on-one meetings between officials and staff.
The council focused on three practical steps recommended in the report: contacting the Iowa League of Cities to schedule governance training (including an Iowa Code and city-code overview), requiring that appointments with staff be scheduled by email, and ensuring that meetings between elected officials and staff include at least three individuals.
Councilmember Milligan moved that the city require at least three people be present for meetings between elected officials and staff, that appointments with staff be scheduled via email, and that the council schedule a discussion at its March meeting to set a date for mandatory training with the League of Cities. Councilmember Smith seconded; the motion passed with Ayes from Bethards, Churchill, Milligan, Schabilion and Smith and no Nays.
Councilmember Smith raised questions about the duties of the City Administrator, Jill Braye, during the discussion, and council members reiterated that adding a third-party presence and formal scheduling procedures were intended to clarify roles and protect staff. The council agreed to coordinate with the League of Cities27 attorney for a training session covering the Iowa Code and Baxter City Code.
The public comment period opened at 6:25 p.m.; Nancy Foreman addressed the council (the transcript does not record the content of her remarks). The meeting adjourned at 6:30 p.m after a motion by Councilmember Bethards and a second by Councilmember Smith.
Actions taken at the meeting were procedural and policy-directed: the council approved the agenda, accepted the investigator27s presentation for consideration, and adopted the scheduling and meeting-presence requirements as a local policy direction; formal disciplinary actions or legal findings were not recorded in the transcript.
