MONROE - After more than an hour in closed session Tuesday, Sept. 17, the Monroe's Common Council voted 5-4 to uphold the Salary and Personnel Committee decision to fire Alan Eckstein, the director of utilities.

Voting against the motion were aldermen Tom Miller, Michael Boyce, Jeff Newcomer and Chris Beer, according to City Administrator Phil Rath.

Eckstein's attorney, Aaron N. Halstead of Hawks Quindel, S.C. of Madison, told The Monroe Times in an email Tuesday, Sept. 17, "We believe that the termination of his employment was illegal in a number of ways." Halstead said he couldn't comment on the particulars of the case.

The city has not given a reason for Eckstein's firing.

Common Council members met as a whole in the closed session with City Attorney Rex Ewald, Mayor Bill Ross and Rath to discuss the circumstances surrounding the termination and to confer about possible litigation resulting from that termination.

The city announced Friday, Sept. 13 that Eckstein was no longer employed by the city, after the Salary and Personnel Committee met Tuesday, Sept. 10 in a closed session with AFSCME union members on a labor grievance and in another closed session with Eckstein to address employee issues.

Salary and Personnel Committee members are Chairman Brooke Bauman, Charles Schuringa, Chris Beer, Louis Armstrong, Reid Stangel and alternate Jeff Newcomer.

Until further notice, the utility director duties are be assumed by existing city staff.