HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015 10-23 Lake Elmo warned to be nice or pay a price PIONEER PRESS Lake Elmo warned to be nice -or pay a price
Updated.'1023/201509:17:34PMCDT TwinCities.com
Lake Elmo warned to be nice-or pay a price
• Oct 12:
-*�'� ^-� • Troubled Lake Elmo loses another City Hall official
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-= � � '��,, �°-�° Member's censure adds to Lake Elmo City Council acrimony
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� ' � • Jul 21:
• Lake Elmo's Anne Smith draws outrage, protests-and votes
Here's another good reason to be polite--it's cheaper.
Lake Elmo City Council members were told last week that they should treat each other with more respect--or risk higher
insurance payments.
The well-publicized rudeness and dysfunctionality of the council is increasing the risk of employee lawsuits, according to
the League of Minnesota Cities.
"IYs not like we were telling them to shape up,"said Dan Greensweig, assistant administrator of the League of Minnesota
Insurance Trust. But at a meeting Oct. 13, he said, "I gave them an explanation of the unfortunate situations we have seen
in the past.Sometimes it gets expensive."
No employee lawsuits have been filed, but there have been several informal complaints, interim city administrator Clark
Schroeder said.The council's discourteous behavior is potential for trouble, Schroeder said.
In July, city officials asked the League to help city council members work more effectively with each other and with city staff.
"This is Lake Elmo reaching out,"said Schroeder. "This is our proactive step."
The city council has been known for at least 10 years as divisive and often rude. In 2008,for example, a council member
called the mayor a"goddamn bastard"at a meeting.
Although there have not been any formal complaints, a draft of a lawsuit written by a former city administrator last
November charged a city council member with harassing him and three other employees.
In September 2014, in response to complaints,a council member was ordered not to have one-on-one contact with any city
employee.
Two weeks ago, a council member faced similar sanctions amid accusations of mistreating an employee at a council
meeting.
The city has tried politeness training before,through workshops and coaching sessions. But this time will be different,said
Schroeder. Now a potential financial penalty looms over the city.
Lake Elmo pays about$64,000 annually for liability insurance to the League of Minnesota Cities. It covers, among other
things, harassment lawsuits by employees.
The cost of insurance could jump sharply if the city were sued, Greensweig warned. In Maplewood,the League raised the
city's deductible payments from$50,000 to$200,000 after harassment complaints against council members.
And the west metro Twin Cities town of Greenfield had its insurance yanked in 2008, after the League paid$800,000 in
legal expenses related to employee harassment claims.
Greensweig said troubles similar to those in Lake Elmo--turmoil in the city council, conflict with the staff, quarrels with
other government agencies, high employee turnover--have caused costly problems for cities elsewhere in Minnesota.
He said the League will help Lake Elmo with educational sessions and work on "agenda management,"probably
addressing the large number of council meetings that run until 1 a.m.
The details have yet to be worked out, but he said he's optimistic that this effort can succeed where others have failed.
"They are all taking this seriously,"Greensweig said."Everyone is there for the right reason--to make Lake Elmo a better
place."