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Mounds View City Council January 27, 2003 Regular Meeting Page 15 City Attorney Riggs indicated that the document itself is private but the information contained in 1 it can be read if Council feels it is part of Council business. 2 3 Interim City Administrator Ericson read the ruling into the record. It is as follows: 4 5 Findings of Fact 6 7 John Hammerschmidt was employed with the City of Mounds View from January of 1996 to 8 June 6, 2001. He was employed as Golf Course Superintendent. 9 10 In the fall of 2000 a new City Administrator was hired for the City of Mounds View. Over the 11 course of several months Mr. Hammerschmidt’s working relationship with the new City 12 Administrator deteriorated as he felt she was micromanaging him and the golf course operations. 13 14 On January 25, 2001 he sent a memo to the City Administrator indicating that after February 5, 15 2001 he would not attempt to communicate with the City Administrator or attend Staff meetings 16 unless they were meetings with agendas. He also advised the City Administrator that he would 17 not respond to commands by voicemail to contact a person within specified timeframes. 18 19 In March of 2001 Mr. Hammerschmidt sent out memos to the Assistant to the City Manager and 20 Mayor venting his anger about others looking at the golf course operations which memos raised 21 issues of whether there was authority to look at the operations and suggested conspiracy. The 22 memos contained such phrases such as “why are others nosing around in my personal matters” 23 and “is your hand on the knife too.” 24 25 On March 26, 2001 the employer issued a written note to Mr. Hammerschmidt which he signed 26 that provided that he must exhibit professional behavior in communications with City employees 27 and others, including members of the City Council. He was also informed that if this was not 28 corrected further action would be necessary. 29 30 In May of 2001, in response to the continued investigation of golf course operations, Mr. 31 Hammerschmidt hired a private investigator to investigate the Mayor and his contacts with a 32 particular business. 33 34 On May 22, 2001 Mr. Hammerschmidt sent out a press release to others because he was upset 35 about a newspaper report that raised issues about golf course operations. The press release was 36 sent out without the authority of the elected leaders and the City Administrator to whom he 37 reported. The press release was also sent out in contravention of a directive by the acting City 38 Administrator that he not send out anything to others until he had spoken to the City 39 Administrator. The press release stated Mr. Hammerschmidt was appalled about the Mayor’s 40 actions in not using the City’s Golf Course Committee to resolve issues and further noted that 41 meetings had been arbitrarily cancelled. 42 43 On May 31, 2001 Mr. Hammerschmidt was suspended immediately because of his failures to 44 follow City directives, which included acting in an unprofessional manner by handing out an 45