Department Heads and Public Fed Up with Bertha City Council, Defend City Clerk
- 7 hours ago
- 1 min read
by Trinity Gruenberg
A packed Bertha City Council special meeting was held on Wednesday, May 27, called by Mayor Deb Nelson on behalf of the department heads. At the previous special meeting on Monday, May 18, City Clerk Brenda Roberts submitted her resignation, citing a hostile and disrespectful work environment created by some council members. Other council members did not wish for Roberts to resign, while other department heads took issue with a comment that the “council runs the city.”
Department heads outline duties, reliance on clerk
Roberts and three department heads — Fire Chief Matt Cardinal, Ambulance Chief Amanda Hansen, and Public Works Supervisor Mike Gaudette — detailed the scope of their responsibilities and the central role the clerk’s office plays in keeping city operations running.
Cardinal described a long list of fire department duties handled at the department level, not by the council.
He said he writes grants, negotiates and maintains contracts with six townships, manages the department’s human resources, oversees equipment and truck maintenance, and coordinates emergency management. The city clerk’s signature is required to submit training reimbursement to the state. Cardinal also criticized what he described as council overreach...
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