WINONA, Minn. – The City Council met behind closed doors for an off-the-calendar job review of City Manager Steve Sarvi. His performance reviews since becoming city manager in 2016 have been positive, but there have been recent rumblings about the city budget and deficit spending. Another possibility for the spur-of-the-moment closed session was that the Council got wind that Savri looking for another job. He has a career record of moving on. Sarvi, age 56, been in Winona five years. Unusual about an October performance review is that Sarvi’s job review cycle has been in the winter on the past. So why the October urgency? Council members declined to say. Nor would they discuss what happened inside the closed session, which seemed to violate state open-meeting requirements. The closed session was not on the Council agenda, also an apparent violation. Pressed by Winona Post editor Chris Rogers after the closed meeting, first-term Mayor Scott Sherman was unsettled and confused. Rogers quoted Sherman: “No comment. Cannot comment. Will not comment. I actually have a call in to legal to get specifics on stuff like, what communication can be sent out? Are we going to do a press release? We are literally trying to figure that out right now. I expect more to come out later, but I don’t know the legalities of what it will be.”
WINONA, Minn. – The City Council met behind closed doors for an off-the-calendar job review of City Manager Steve Sarvi. His performance reviews since becoming city manager in 2016 have been positive, but there have been recent rumblings about the city budget and deficit spending. Another possibility for the spur-of-the-moment closed session was that the Council got wind that Savri looking for another job. He has a career record of moving on. Sarvi, age 56, been in Winona five years. Unusual about an October performance review is that Sarvi’s job review cycle has been in the winter on the past. So why the October urgency? Council members declined to say. Nor would they discuss what happened inside the closed session, which seemed to violate state open-meeting requirements. The closed session was not on the Council agenda, also an apparent violation. Pressed by Winona Post editor Chris Rogers after the closed meeting, first-term Mayor Scott Sherman was unsettled and confused. Rogers quoted Sherman: “No comment. Cannot comment. Will not comment. I actually have a call in to legal to get specifics on stuff like, what communication can be sent out? Are we going to do a press release? We are literally trying to figure that out right now. I expect more to come out later, but I don’t know the legalities of what it will be.”
Closed meeting rules
According to state law:
> Personnel matters may be discussed in closed session.
> But the topic being discussed must be announced in advance.
> And any decision made in closed session must be announced immediately afterward for the public record.
There are penalties, usually fines for violating open-meeting requirements, typically $300 but up to $13,000 for litigant legal fees. Also, participants can be removed from office.
Winona Post
The weekly Post has a record of taking public officials to court for on openness issues involving government documents and meetings– and winning. The lesson: “Don’t mess with the Post.” In recent years the Daily News has not been aggressive as a public crusader for government transparency. Winona Radio never has objected to closed meetings.
Sarvi. Has not taken calls about what he knows about the closed meeting. He was not invited.
Sherman. Mayor since January.
Rogers. Post editor. Covering City Hall since 2012.
Sarvi career profile
Winona: City manager, since 2016.
Rushford: City administrator, 2011-2016.
Victoria: City administrator, 2000-2008. Took leave to run for Congress. Lost by 14.8 points. A Democrat.
Watertown: City administrator: 1999-2000, then mayor 2001-2005.
Lanesboro: City administrator: 1994-1999.
Army: Armor sergeant, then officer, 1982-2012. Includes Reserve service. Tours in Kosovo, Iraq.