WINONA, Minn. – The Winona Post has a data request on file for information regarding the firing of City Manager Sarvi. At issue is a closed-door meeting from which the public and news media were excluded early in the week. Law allows closed sessions on personnel issues but requires there be a report immediately before on the subject discussed and a report immediately afterward on what actions were taken. The Post reported that Mayor Scott Sherman and Cuncil members stumbled and fumbled when asked after the meeting what transpired. It was apparent that Sherman, in the mayorship less than year, had gone into the closed session without seeking counsel from the city attorney on the legal issues. It may be that the actual decision to fire Sarvi was at a second meeting Thursday night but this wasn’t clear. In an event, on Friday, four days after the Monday night close session, the city issued a vague but carefully worded statement that Sarvi would be leaving effective at 3 p.m. The statement was explicit that there had been no complaints against Sarvi as a city employee and that there was no disciplinary action. Mayor Sherman declined to go beyond the lawyered statement. To the Post he said: “Based on Minnesota personnel data privacy, as advised by the city attorney, I am not going to make any comment on this today regarding Steve Sarvi’s employment with the city.”
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Verbatim
City statement: “Winona City Manager Stephen T. Sarvi’s last date of employment was October 8, 2021.Sarviwas employed by the city since February 22, 2016 under an Employment Agreement. Sarvi was responsible for the control and direction of the administration of the city’s affairs. His last gross annual salary with the city was$150,404.42. The city took no disciplinary action against Stephen Sarvi while he was employed with the city and no data of complaints existed or exist against him as an employee of the city. The city is confident that it will continue to serve the community safely, effectively, and efficiently. Assistant City Manager Chad Ubl will continue as Acting City Manager as established for his job position. The city will determine its next steps for appointing a regular City Manager. The city has no further comments about this matter due, primarily, to Minnesota’s government data privacy laws.”