MONROE -- Monroe aldermen voted to end City Administrator Mark Vahlsing's employment Tuesday for a failure to perform some of his duties as the city's human resources director.
The City of Monroe and Vahlsing on Wednesday afternoon announced in a news release that Vahlsing no longer was the city administrator. His employment ended effective Wednesday.
Vahlsing's resignation had come earlier in the morning, just before he was scheduled to travel to New York to tour a culinary center on behalf of Monroe Main Street. Vahlsing did not make the trip.
Aldermen on Tuesday voted 8-2 in closed session to end Vahlsing's employment. The city, in the news release, emphasized his departure was not because of a discrimination complaint filed against the city by a former employee. Some aldermen later concurred with that emphasis.
The council approved five months of severance pay for Vahlsing, per his employment agreement with the city, according to the news release.
Mayor Ron Marsh delivered the news release to the Monroe Times, but would not make any comments Wednesday.
Vahlsing could not be reached for comment.
The city's first administrator, hired in April 2006, was the subject of a discrimination complaint filed May 1 with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. In the complaint, former confidential administrative assistant Janelle Bittner alleged Vahlsing forced her to quit because she refused his sexual advances and because she complained to a manager about sexual harassment. Bittner worked for the city from May 21, 2007, until April 2, 2008.
The city and some council members emphasized Wednesday the decision to terminate Vahlsing was not based on that complaint.
According to the news release, "The City Council has made no finding there has been any violation of city policy by any city employee."
It also states, "Vahlsing denies he violated any city policies, and all allegations of a recently filed discrimination complaint by a former employee."
The city said it would, with Vahlsing's cooperation, "continue to defend the discrimination complaint by the former employee."
Aldermen met Tuesday in closed session to discuss "preliminary results from an investigation" of possible violations of city policies by employees, and possibly take action.
Some council members said they were aware of the "basic problem" surrounding the complaint, but were not prepared for the report of the investigation.
They said they were told Vahlsing was not fulfilling some of his duties as a human resources director during the past year, but no aldermen would tell the Times what those duties were.
"(In) my own personal opinion, it's appropriate he turned in his resignation," Alderman Mark Coplien said Wednesday.
Aldermen generally expressed regret about Vahlsing's fate Wednesday.
Coplien praised his work as city administrator, saying he'd been involved in many projects which have helped the city in its recent growth, including the first PUD (planned unit development) application for a Wal-Mart Supercenter.
"His expertise was valuable; there were no issues (with his job performance) whatsoever," Coplien said. "He was very knowledgeable, very valuable."
Alderman Thurston Hanson said Vahlsing seemed "competent and knowledgeable."
"I only knew Mark at committee meetings and council meetings," Hanson said. "He was perfectly fine in that role."
Hanson said he agreed with the council's vote, which he said "had nothing to do with the discrimination complaint."
Paul Hannes, along with Dan Henke, voted against ending Vahlsing's employment. He said Vahlsing made some bad choices, "but to get let him go was not right."
"I am really disappointed," Hannes said of the vote. "Mark was doing a good job for the city. I liked Mark very much."
Alderman Chuck Koch echoed that sentiment, but voted with the majority.
"I'm sorry to lose Mark," Koch said. "I thought he was an asset to the city. But under the circumstances, we have to stick to our policy of doing what's best for the city, and do the best we can."
"When he was doing his job and paying attention, he did a fine job," Alderman Chuck Schuringa said of Vahlsing.
Schuringa said "after all the supposed facts came out, there was plenty of discussion" at Tuesday's meeting.
"When all this broke, I was shocked," he said. "I was not aware of anything going on. I try to give people the benefit of the doubt."
The council members' surprise at Vahlsing's failure at fulfilling some of his duties comes despite the fact that the mayor and councilmen are to review the city administrator's performance on an annual basis. Council members did not learn of their part in the review process until Tuesday night, Coplien said.
"Because this was such a new position, council members were not aware that they were responsible for a review," Coplien said. But "there was nothing that sparked or caused" aldermen to believe Vahlsing needed a review, he said, because Vahlsing had been doing such an excellent job.
Coplien, who is chairman of the council's Salary and Personnel Committee, offered the city's next move for filling the vacancy.
"Now that Mark has turned in his resignation, Mayor Ron Marsh will be meeting with department heads, and delegating some of Vahlsing's responsibilities," Coplien said.
Coplien, Marsh and some aldermen will take on other responsibilities as the city begins its search for another city administrator. Coplien said the council has decided to use the same hiring firm it used to find Vahlsing, to speed up the process.
"But we will make sure it is a good fit for the City of Monroe," he said.
The Salary and Personnel Committee will oversee the hiring process. Coplien said the council hasn't decided whether the position of city administrator and human resources director will continue to be combined.
"There has been no issue with that before," he said.
The City of Monroe and Vahlsing on Wednesday afternoon announced in a news release that Vahlsing no longer was the city administrator. His employment ended effective Wednesday.
Vahlsing's resignation had come earlier in the morning, just before he was scheduled to travel to New York to tour a culinary center on behalf of Monroe Main Street. Vahlsing did not make the trip.
Aldermen on Tuesday voted 8-2 in closed session to end Vahlsing's employment. The city, in the news release, emphasized his departure was not because of a discrimination complaint filed against the city by a former employee. Some aldermen later concurred with that emphasis.
The council approved five months of severance pay for Vahlsing, per his employment agreement with the city, according to the news release.
Mayor Ron Marsh delivered the news release to the Monroe Times, but would not make any comments Wednesday.
Vahlsing could not be reached for comment.
The city's first administrator, hired in April 2006, was the subject of a discrimination complaint filed May 1 with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. In the complaint, former confidential administrative assistant Janelle Bittner alleged Vahlsing forced her to quit because she refused his sexual advances and because she complained to a manager about sexual harassment. Bittner worked for the city from May 21, 2007, until April 2, 2008.
The city and some council members emphasized Wednesday the decision to terminate Vahlsing was not based on that complaint.
According to the news release, "The City Council has made no finding there has been any violation of city policy by any city employee."
It also states, "Vahlsing denies he violated any city policies, and all allegations of a recently filed discrimination complaint by a former employee."
The city said it would, with Vahlsing's cooperation, "continue to defend the discrimination complaint by the former employee."
Aldermen met Tuesday in closed session to discuss "preliminary results from an investigation" of possible violations of city policies by employees, and possibly take action.
Some council members said they were aware of the "basic problem" surrounding the complaint, but were not prepared for the report of the investigation.
They said they were told Vahlsing was not fulfilling some of his duties as a human resources director during the past year, but no aldermen would tell the Times what those duties were.
"(In) my own personal opinion, it's appropriate he turned in his resignation," Alderman Mark Coplien said Wednesday.
Aldermen generally expressed regret about Vahlsing's fate Wednesday.
Coplien praised his work as city administrator, saying he'd been involved in many projects which have helped the city in its recent growth, including the first PUD (planned unit development) application for a Wal-Mart Supercenter.
"His expertise was valuable; there were no issues (with his job performance) whatsoever," Coplien said. "He was very knowledgeable, very valuable."
Alderman Thurston Hanson said Vahlsing seemed "competent and knowledgeable."
"I only knew Mark at committee meetings and council meetings," Hanson said. "He was perfectly fine in that role."
Hanson said he agreed with the council's vote, which he said "had nothing to do with the discrimination complaint."
Paul Hannes, along with Dan Henke, voted against ending Vahlsing's employment. He said Vahlsing made some bad choices, "but to get let him go was not right."
"I am really disappointed," Hannes said of the vote. "Mark was doing a good job for the city. I liked Mark very much."
Alderman Chuck Koch echoed that sentiment, but voted with the majority.
"I'm sorry to lose Mark," Koch said. "I thought he was an asset to the city. But under the circumstances, we have to stick to our policy of doing what's best for the city, and do the best we can."
"When he was doing his job and paying attention, he did a fine job," Alderman Chuck Schuringa said of Vahlsing.
Schuringa said "after all the supposed facts came out, there was plenty of discussion" at Tuesday's meeting.
"When all this broke, I was shocked," he said. "I was not aware of anything going on. I try to give people the benefit of the doubt."
The council members' surprise at Vahlsing's failure at fulfilling some of his duties comes despite the fact that the mayor and councilmen are to review the city administrator's performance on an annual basis. Council members did not learn of their part in the review process until Tuesday night, Coplien said.
"Because this was such a new position, council members were not aware that they were responsible for a review," Coplien said. But "there was nothing that sparked or caused" aldermen to believe Vahlsing needed a review, he said, because Vahlsing had been doing such an excellent job.
Coplien, who is chairman of the council's Salary and Personnel Committee, offered the city's next move for filling the vacancy.
"Now that Mark has turned in his resignation, Mayor Ron Marsh will be meeting with department heads, and delegating some of Vahlsing's responsibilities," Coplien said.
Coplien, Marsh and some aldermen will take on other responsibilities as the city begins its search for another city administrator. Coplien said the council has decided to use the same hiring firm it used to find Vahlsing, to speed up the process.
"But we will make sure it is a good fit for the City of Monroe," he said.
The Salary and Personnel Committee will oversee the hiring process. Coplien said the council hasn't decided whether the position of city administrator and human resources director will continue to be combined.
"There has been no issue with that before," he said.