Grace Kirchner, Leader Correspondent
Lisa Kotter returned to work Monday after Mayor Judith Magree lifted a three-week suspension of Clintonville’s city administrator.
The City Council voted 6-4 May 27 to extend Kotter’s suspension and refer the issue to the city’s labor attorney.
Magee, however, vetoed that decision Monday, saying an investigation’s findings did not warrant Kotter being fired.
The council could override Magee’s veto with a two-thirds majority (seven votes). The council’s next scheduled meeting is June 10.
Magee said removing Kotter would not be in the best interest of the city, and that a majority of people attending council meetings opposed the action being taken against the administrator.
“It is not in the best interest of the city of Clintonville to be without a city administrator any longer while work is continuing to not get done,” Magee said in a prepared statement. “The volume of work that is not being completed in the absence of our administrator is reaching a level that could jeopardize our city further and jeopardize ongoing projects.
“This is exasperated due to two key department head positions being vacant and a new city attorney that was not involved in the city work prior to the administrator’s suspension.”
Magee pointed out several projects that have been neglected during Kotter’s suspension: the Main Street reconstruction project, an industrial real estate transaction on Industrial Avenue, the airport runway expansion, funding for the 2015 waster water treatment facility upgrade, hiring a utility manager, training the public works manager, monitoring the sidewalk assessment program and others.
Kotter issued a statement saying she was glad to be back at work.
Kotter was suspended by the council on May 13 pending an investigation into alleged misconduct. The investigation was conducted by attorney Warren Kraft and presented to the council in closed session.
The city agreed to pay up to $10,000 from its contingency fund for the investigation.