City administrator and supporters say write-ups were retaliatory; administrator asks council for contract security

During the public-comment period, the person identified in the transcript as Bonnie Walker — who spoke at length about personnel matters — said they had been written up after applying for a job in another municipality and described the write-ups as retaliatory. The speaker said they asked for a three-year contract to protect their employment and to provide stability for city operations.

Supporters spoke in favor of the administrator. Steve Davis, owner of Don's Smokehouse, called Walker "an asset to the city" and urged fair treatment. Mark Merrill, a former mayor who addressed the council, said Walker had been treated unfairly and described concerns about the hiring process in another municipality.

The administrator recounted a timeline of communications and personnel actions, asked the council to remove disciplinary entries from personnel files and said an internal audit request felt improper to perform without appropriate authority. Council members later voted to remove two disciplinary reports in open session.