July

27, 2002
Judge dismisses charges on closed meetings
From staff reports
An Olmsted District Judge this week dismissed charges against the
Olmsted County Soil and Water Conservation District and Kimm Crawford,
one of its current board members. The charges were brought by Steve
Connelly, a former district manager fired three years ago.
Judge Joseph Chase did order three former board members, Gary
Oldenberg, Stephen Nigon and William Fritts, to pay Connelly $150 each
for illegally closing a meeting to discuss Connelly's job performance
after Connelly requested the meeting be open. The three men also must
repay Connelly's $13,000 attorney's fees.
Chase also ordered Nigon to pay Connelly $1,000 as general damages
for defamation. He issued the order earlier this week, wrapping up a
three-month-old trial and a three-year-old dispute.
Connelly, 32, now an elected member of the Conservation board,
contended he was fired as district manager because he had objected to
several closed meetings the board held to discuss his job performance.
Board members maintained Connelly was fired for poor performance.
Chase ruled all but one of the closed meetings was held legally.
In his lawsuit, Connelly alleged the board conducted at least
three illegal closed meetings, discriminated against him on the basis
of his marital status (he was single), and defamed him with comments
about his marital status and lifestyle.
Another member of the board, Jo Ann Wegman, also conducted a
lawsuit against the board, similarly alleging violations of
open-meeting law. That trial, held in October 2001, ended with Judge
Kevin Lund dismissing all but one of Wegman's claims and ordering
payments of $7,500 for her costs associated with the lawsuit.
The Soil and Water Conservation District is a governmental agency
charged with helping reduce soil erosion and preserving wetlands in
Olmsted County. It is funded by a combination of county and state
funds.
Mark Frederickson, a board member not implicated in Connelly's
lawsuit, said the long courtroom battle has left the agency
financially devastated. The District spent $300,000 defending itself
in court, he said.
"That's the irony and the real shame of this," Frederickson said.
"We're ready to fold."