SPICER -- With the mayor's chair empty at the main table, the Spicer City Council pushed on Wednesday by reimbursing the city employee who filed a harassment restraining order against Spicer Mayor Perry Wohnoutka.
Councilman Terry Holmquist, who stood in as mayor pro tem for the absent mayor, said the council should reimburse Public Works Director Dan Haats $255 for filing to prevent an employee-against-employer lawsuit. Holmquist said he spoke with Spicer City Attorney Barry Darval, who recommended a legal reimbursement because the council "has no legal means to address the situation" between the mayor and Haats.
"We have to do something, but we can't do something," Holmquist said.
The court hearing between Wohnoutka and Haats is scheduled today. The dispute between the two had been heard by the personnel committee but nothing could be resolved. Holmquist said he was going to write his state legislator about the "Catch-22" situation the city was in. He said there has to be some legal means for the council to address such a grievance when the personnel committee is unable to establish a solution.
Capping off the motion, Holmquist gave a statement on behalf the council regarding Wohnoutka's absence. The mayor has checked into the Project Turnabout residential treatment center in Granite Falls.
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"We wish Perry the very best," Holmquist said. "He is fighting one of the toughest battles anyone can fight. We wish him the best that he win and come back to us."
Wohnoutka checked into the residential treatment center Nov. 13 following a series of incidents that have led to misdemeanor charges being filed against him. Wohnoutka was arrested Sept. 1 after an alleged brawl after a night of drinking at Melvin's on the Lake in Spicer. He also faces another misdemeanor charge for tampering with a fire alarm at a Spicer senior apartment building in July when residents called him because they believed it to be a false alarm. City Administrator Kimberly Wothe said the city has not been notified when they can expect the mayor's return.
In the midst of the meeting's 2008 budget discussions, the council decided to table conversations about budget revisions until the council's Nov. 28 meeting in hopes of Wohnoutka's return. Schneider said he didn't want to make such important decisions without the presence of the whole council yet stressed that he wanted to still trim some of the budget.
The budget delay puts more stress on the city because the city's budget has to be submitted by the end of the month.
