BP Council proceeds with closed meeting to hire city administrator

Despite warnings from the Steele County Times, the Blooming Prairie City Council proceeded ahead with a closed meeting Tuesday night in an effort to hire a new city administrator.

Mayor Curt Esplan called for a special meeting at 5 p.m. when the previously set May 1 meeting was cancelled. Then at 5:04 p.m., the council went into a closed meeting for about 15 minutes before reopening the meeting.

After the closed session, the council voted to direct interim city administrator Terri Zwiener and South Central Cooperative, the firm hired by the city to assist with the hiring of a city administrator, to begin negotiations with the top candidate. However, no information has been released as to who the top candidate is or what was discussed in the closed meeting.

It’s expected the council will reveal the candidate at the May 8 regular council meeting and move for approval of the hire.

The Steele County Times has taken issue with the closed part of the process in hiring the city administrator.

Esplan told the Times Monday that his plan to close a meeting for negotiations is supported by other cities around the area.

“We have to do what we have to do,” said Esplan. “They (other cities) say we are right and there is no strict language relating to the law.”

However, Minnesota Newspaper Association attorney Mark Anfinson, who represents the Steele County Times, disagrees with the city’s view. Anfinson contends that all meetings on salary negotiations must be open under state law.

Anfinson said the council is making the same mistake many other cities have made over the years.

The veteran media lawyer credited the city for delaying the meeting on April 10 after the Times objected, but he disagrees with how the city utilized the closed meeting this week.