The Crookston City Council passed a resolution agreeing to a separation agreement with City Administrator Shannon Stassen, to start their meeting on Monday, after a closed Ways and Means committee negotiation session at Crookston City Hall.
Stassen requested his separation in a November 1 email to the Crookston City Council, if the Council didn’t take steps to remove Crookston Housing and Economic Development Authority (CHEDA) Executive Director Craig Hoiseth and reform the CHEDA Board of Commissioners. The council didn’t take steps to remove Hoiseth or reform CHEDA and instead negotiated a severance agreement that Stassen requested.
Stassen declined to comment after the meeting, but acting Mayor Dale Stainbrook said he didn’t like to see Stassen go. “The Council agreed to give Shannon what he requested, six months severance plus insurance,” said Stainbrook. “That will start soon here, I guess. His last official day is the 10th of December. His severance will be until June 10. There was no hard feelings. I don’t like to see Shannon go, but it was all cordial. They thought he did a good job during his six-plus years here, and we wish him the best.”
The Council didn’t ask anything of Stassen as part of the separation agreement. “No,” said Stainbrook. “Before it is signed off talking with the City Attorney (Corky Reynolds), the League of Minnesota Cities (LMC) wants it a little bit clearer to protect the city. I haven’t seen the language the LMC wants in there, the City Attorney and I think Angel (Weasner – City of Crookston Finance Director) is going to get whatever it is in this, the release of claims by the employee, to tweak a little bit to protect the city I guess. It’s minor, if anything, is what I’m understanding at this point. I haven’t read it myself. I haven’t seen it, but other than that, I think we’re good to go.”
Stassen was hired as City Administrator in November 2013 after two-plus years with the Crookston Chamber. Stassen was hired after the City Council fired the previous administrator after only about 18 months on the job. Public Works Director Pat Kelly served as the interim administrator before Stassen’s hiring, but Stainbrook said Monday the council would check into identifying an acting administrator. “There is a couple of other cities that did that while they were looking into a permanent administrator,” said Stainbrook. “So, we are going to check into it, see what the cost is. I know whoever we do for a temporary position would not be interested in the job, just here as acting administrator for a while. I’m sure whoever it is, he or she will work closely with Angel. And Angel has a lot on her plate, and we don’t expect her to do two duties and reading her body language. I don’t think she wants it. So, that’s where we’re at with that. We have to find some cost and see if it will work.”
