4. Ex-city manager sentenced; new manager hired

 

All the Albert Lea City Council wanted to do last year was to find a replacement for Victoria Simonsen, who departed in February 2010 for a job in Colorado. After a bargain couldn’t be struck with the leading choice, the council hired Jim Norman of Anoka, who began full time in May 2010. He didn’t last the summer as allegations surfaced that he abused the city-issued credit card to purchase personal items during his relocation to Albert Lea.

Charges were filed in Freeborn County District Court in August of last year. The purchases totaled $2,300, and he repaid the amount and said he had a mistaken understanding of what relocation expenses were. Still, he faced two felonies and one gross misdemeanor.

He was to face a trial in January of this year — part of his Sixth Amendment right to a speedy trial — but shortly beforehand, the prosecutor, Brenda Miller of the Waseca County Attorney’s Office, added five additional felony charges. His lawyer, Peggy Rockow, called it a delay tactic. The judge for that hearing, John A. Chesterman, approved the charges.

Another delay occurred when Chesterman retired, and the interim judge had a conflict of interest. The came into the hands of Mower County District Judge Fred Wellmann. In March, he denied a claim that Norman was selectively prosecuted, despite evidence pointing to other city employees using city credit cards for personal purchases. A trial was slated for May.

Meanwhile, the City Council, working with Interim City Manager Pat McGarvey, moved forward with hiring a city manager. And it used the same search firm that brought forth Norman. By March there were five finalists, which was cut to four finalists because had to interview elsewhere. By the visitation dates of March 25 and 26, there were six.

One of the finalists was Chad Adams, the city administrator for the Minneapolis suburb of Medina. On April 1, the City Council approved a contract with Adams. He started June 1. Mayor Vern Rasmussen announced: “We are all really happy about this day.”

Since then, Adams has pushed to have the council govern more through policies, rather than bringing every little item before the council. He has helped to shepherd the council’s effort to upgrade the downtown streetscape and sewer and water lines. He pushed for City Hall renovations that will make the building more energy-efficient. He guided the city through a budget with a zero levy increase. Department heads have credited Adams with being a good listener.

At Norman’s trial in May, evidence came out that former Finance Director Rhonda Moen, who was the person filing the initial complaint against Norman, had made personal purchases with her city-issued credit card. Rockow asked Wellman to strike her testimony saying she was a “stickler” to make sure all receipts and documentation were turned in for all purchases. Wellman denied her motion.

This aspect, more than any other, has prompted many letters to the editor from citizens wondering why Norman was prosecuted but Moen was not. Moen bolted in October 2010 to be the finance director for Owatonna. A firm handles her former duties now for Albert Lea City Hall. City officials simply say they are moving on from the Norman-Moen situation.

After three hours of deliberation at the trial in May, a jury found Norman guilty on seven of eight counts. He said afterward he planned to appeal.

On the last day of June, Wellman sentenced him to 90 days of electronic home monitoring and five years of probation.

Norman will not be allowed to obtain employment or act in a nonemployment capacity that requires him to be a fiduciary for any other person. He was ordered to serve 100 hours of Sentenced to Service or community work service and must also obtain a mental health evaluation.

Norman filed his appeal in October with the Minnesota Court of Appeals.