LOGAN, Iowa - The City Council here faced another angry crowd Monday evening in the wake of its firing of the city administrator and city attorney.
Several townspeople have said they believe the sackings stemmed from a controversy over how to deal with Milliman Park, on the north side of this town of 1,500 people. Some wanted the park cleaned up and used. Others, including a council member's wife, opposed the change.
"How dare you do what you've done to those people and do what you have done to this community?" said John Espenmiller, a Logan resident who spoke during the meeting and asked for the resignations of the three council members who voted to fire the employees. "You have lost the confidence of the citizens of this community, and you have lost the ability to serve the citizens of this community effectively."
Many of the roughly 130 people in the audience stood and applauded.
Full-time City Administrator Angela Winther and City Attorney Joe Lauterbach were let go during a hastily called special meeting July 6. Lauterbach, who practices law in Harlan, was used on an as-needed basis.
Winther's husband, Jack, leads the local Boy Scout troop. He has said cleaning up Milliman Park had long been a community service goal of the troop.
A proposal to clean up the park was offered at a meeting in March, but the council tabled the matter until 2013.
The park has been at least partially spruced up since.
During the raucous council meeting two weeks ago that followed the firings, council members faced a firestorm of questions from city residents but provided no answers.
One council member said he didn't believe they could answer because the residents weren't listed on the agenda.
This time, at least 10 people registered to address the council about the firings and were put on the agenda.
Council members who supported the firings still refused to directly address the moves, citing a need for legal representation. But they did address related questions, such as why they served on the council at all.
"I wanted to do things for this community," said council member Nick Lefeber, who voted to remove Lauterbach and Winther.
Now, he said, he has received threats. "I'm kind of disappointed, to tell you the truth."
"Will you resign if you don't like it?" someone in the audience asked.
"I guess that's my point exactly," he replied.
Council member Dee Clark, who also voted to fire the pair, did not attend Monday's meeting.
One council opponent of the firings, Dennis Crum, said he still believed the fired pair had done nothing wrong.
Samantha Johnson, a Logan resident who is married to Councilman Skip Johnson, has repeatedly spoken out against the cleanup effort at Milliman Park, which is adjacent to their home.
She says she doesn't want her privacy invaded.
Her husband is one of the council members who supported the firings.
Four people currently sit on the normally five-member council. The fifth resigned in May, citing ongoing tension in Logan.
Winther has said she did not know why she was fired. On Monday, she received a letter from the three council members - not on city letterhead, she said - that listed only "insubordination."
"It doesn't follow any protocol or any procedure the city has," Winther said.
Iowa law requires that the removal be done by written order, which must give the reasons.
The employee has 30 days following the mailing to request a public hearing on the matter.
The city is looking for replacements. Mayor Randy Fetter, who has said he had nothing to do with the firings, said at the meeting that he planned to appoint an interim city attorney today.
Contact the writer: 402-444-1310, andrew.nelson@owh.com
"How dare you do what you've done to those people and do what you have done to this community?" said John Espenmiller, a Logan resident who spoke during the meeting and asked for the resignations of the three council members who voted to fire the employees. "You have lost the confidence of the citizens of this community, and you have lost the ability to serve the citizens of this community effectively."
Members of the roughly 130 people in the audience stood and applauded.
Former City Administrator Angela Winther and City Attorney Joe Lauterbach were fired during a hastily-called special meeting July 6. During the raucous city council meeting that followed July 9, City Council members faced a firestorm of questions from city residents, but provided no answers.
One council member said he didn't believe they could answer residents' questions because the residents weren't listed individually on the agenda.
This time, 11 seperate people registered to address the council and were put on the agenda, but council members who voted for the firings still refused to address the issue directly, citing a need for legal representation.
They did address other questions from the audience, such as why they served on the council.
"I wanted to do things for this community," said council member Nick Lefeber, who also voted to remove Lauterbach and Winther.
Now, he said, he has received threats. "I'm kind of disappointed, to tell you the truth."
"Will you resign if you don't like it?" somebody in the audience asked.
"I guess that's my point exactly," he replied. "I'm really disappointed with what is directed at me and my family."
Samantha Johnson, a Logan resident who is married to Councilman Skip Johnson, has repeatedly spoken out against a cleanup effort targeting Milliman Park, which is adjacent to their home.
Samantha Johnson says she doesn't want her privacy invaded.
Skip Johnson is one of the council members who backed the firings.
