Farmington's pay raises met city standards

Frequent raises and promotions received by Farmington management employees for much of the past decade didn't violate the law or city policy, because the city's rules let its top administrator make such decisions without informing the City Council, an investigation has concluded.

Documents show that some department heads received dozens of promotions, totaling thousands of dollars, mostly in the early part of the 2000s. A former city administrator got four raises totaling $13,000 in less than two years with the city, and a human resources director has received 25 raises in 15 years. Some raises were given despite a 2002 salary survey suggesting the recipients already earned more than counterparts in other cities.

City officials say they've now made it clear that raises must go through the council, and such a rule may be added to the city code.

"What the investigation allows us to do is put whole thing to bed," said Mayor Todd Larson. "There have been rumors and speculation going around the city for 10 years or so. But nothing illegal happened and now we can put it to rest."

The council received the investigative report last week from Ratwik, Roszak & Maloney, a Minneapolis law firm. The city paid more than $8,400 for the look into pay raises questioned last summer by a local newspaper. It reported former administrators had approved manager promotions and pay raises for many department heads without the council's full knowledge.

The 2002 salary study had recommended increasing pay not for directors, but for lower-level staff who were behind metro averages, noted Council Member Jason Bartholomay, who asked for the outside investigation in early July.

Ratwik's five-page summary report, released last week, says: "The city's past practice demonstrates that raises and changes to job titles were within the discretion of the acting City Administrator. ... While it is arguably best practice for a City Administrator to keep the Council informed of personnel matters and issues ... there is no requirement of notification in the ordinance."

Current City Administrator Dave McKnight brings such raises to the City Council for approval, Larson said. "It's all aboveboard and everything is seen by everybody."

Confrontation ensues

Among those getting big raises after the 2002 salary survey was former City Administrator Ed Shukle, who was hired at a salary of $80,000 in September 2001. Documents provided by the city show he received four raises totalling more than $13,000 in his 22 months with the city. Despite the salary survey finding that he was being paid 3 percent above his peers, he got a $4,643 raise on Jan. 1, 2003.

He left the city six months later. Shukle, now the administrator in Jordan, didn't respond to phone messages left by a reporter.

Shukle's term with the city ended because of his raises and others he approved, said Jerry Ristow, who was mayor for eight years ending in 2004. Ristow said he had assumed the council needed to approve raises for Shukle and other managers when it hired him. But he didn't learn of the $4,643 raise until months after Shukle received it in January 2003, Ristow said.

Salary hikes

Ristow said he pushed for Shukle's removal before a divided council. Shukle "had a choice of resigning or being relieved of his duties. He chose to resign," Ristow said.

Council Member Christy Jo Fogarty, who joined the council in January 2003, recalled Shukle's big raise. "I remember there was a lot of stress about him. He was dismissed for reasons I don't know," Fogarty said.

The raises went farther than just Shukle. Former Finance Director Robin Roland received a $3,500 raise that was linked to the salary survey, even though it showed she earned almost 2.5 percent more than her peers in 2002. Roland, now Cottage Grove's finance and community development director, said her raises stemmed from good job reviews and merit pay.

Human Resources Director Brenda Wendlandt has received 25 raises and two promotions that more than doubled her salary to $106,613 -- the second-highest in the city, behind McKnight -- in her 15 years with Farmington. She started as human resources coordinator at $38,500 in 1997.

Her attorney, Philip Villaume, said Wendlandt's promotions to manager and then director brought more responsibility and dramatic pay raises, all properly approved by city administrators.

Reputation cleared

Wendlandt "is glad her name was cleared of any wrongdoing," Villaume said. "She feels she was put in a real awkward position by allegations that she somehow collaborated with city administrators on the raises."

Roland was the interim city administrator before Shukle was hired. She said a pay equity study justified her promotion of Wendlandt from human resources coordinator to manager in 2001 because her duties, including labor negotiations, were typically done by managers, who are paid more. Roland said Wendlandt had good job reviews and "is a very talented and capable woman."

Ratwik's report said if the council wants more say or input in personnel matters, it could amend its ordinances or fire uncooperative administrators.