By Deanna Narveson

Mankato Free Press

WELLS — More than 300 residents signed a petition presented to the Wells City Council Monday calling for the removal of the city administrator.

The petition cited a list of grievances about Robin Leslie’s work performance, decisions made and the manner in which she goes about her work.

“Some of us have voiced our concerns alone and we are not heard,” said Brenda Weber, who spearheaded the petition and is running for an open seat on the City Council. “We are hoping you will listen to our concerns. Our city administrator, Robin Leslie, has treated community members with disrespectful and rude behavior.”

Leslie started the job in 2013 after working for city governments in Minnesota, in Texas and in Massachusetts.

On Monday, the council approved an eight-week medical leave Leslie requested, and the City Council will not meet again until Oct. 24 when she comes back to working full time. The timing of Leslie’s leave led to the urgency of the petition, Weber said.

Wells resident Gene Kauffman, who runs the city’s classic car show each year, said he was told he could have a certain section of Main Street for the car show. He said he was later told by Leslie just two days before the event that he needed to move the show to keep parking spots open at the nearby liquor store, causing him trouble in planning the event.

Weber said Leslie also did not follow proper procedures for a demolition project on the United South Central school building that was torn down last year, which without certain permits could have cost the city money. Weber alerted city officials and the permits were obtained.

Rick Christenson said Leslie needed to use more tact in her dealings with residents. To which Leslie responded, “So do you.”

“You have to remember some of these people that you are hassling — and they look at it as a hassle — are elderly, poor, they have no means,” Christenson said. “They are humble and embarrassed and we have to use more tact.”

Leslie said she was doing her job to the best of her abilities.

Outside of the meeting, Leslie declined to comment.

Her entire resume was brought up at one point by Zoe Heckman, a local real estate agent.

Heckman said she believed a good part of the town’s dissatisfaction with Leslie as administrator stemmed from a lack of communication about expectations and duties from Leslie’s employers, the City Council.

Mayor Ron Gaines said the evening’s discussion was productive, but only to a certain extent because the residents don’t understand the reasoning behind every decision. For example, he said, with the school’s demolition, much of the responsibility in how it was handled was with the School Board and not the city.

“The petition is to remove our city administrator, but that’s an illegal petition,” Gaines said.

Find more on Leslie’s medical leave here.