Boiler Bay Beacon
DEPOE BAY — A mystery whistleblower triggered a shakeup at City Hall on Aug. 3 as the city council voted to put the town’s managing employee on indefinite administrative leave.
“We have to verify and certify the whistleblower issues, then we’ll give out all the facts. We want to make sure everything is done correctly and to hold people accountable to their actions.” – Depoe Bay Mayor Joe Cannon
Coming out of an executive session, the vote was unanimous to relieve Kim Wollenburg, city administrator-recorder, of all duties pending an investigation into “whistleblower” allegations. She was hired in August, 2022.
The Monday meeting was held under provisions of ORS 192.660, “To consider the dismissal or disciplining of, or to hear complaints or charges brought against, a public officer, employee, staff member or individual agent who does not request an open hearing.”
In a series of three motions by Mayor Joe Cannon, the city council voted to:
• “Investigate the complaints against the city recorder and hire a forensics accounting firm to conduct the investigation,” and to authorize the mayor “to work with Macpherson, Gintner & Diaz to find a qualified forensic accounting firm;”
• put the city recorder on paid administrative leave while Macpherson, Gintner & Diaz and the city’s insurance carrier, CIS, “prepare the necessary documentation;”
• and order the city recorder’s duties “to be handled by the deputy city recorder with the help of the accounting specialist and other necessary employees.
The votes were unanimous, with the mayor and city councilors Pacific, Poland, Breitigam, Watson and Recht voting for the motions.
Mayor Cannon, who left after the vote to attend a mayor’s conference in Ashland, pledged the city would be transparent about the results of any inquiry.
“Everything is evolving as we determine what route to go,” he said. “We have to verify and certify the whistleblower issues, then we’ll give out all the facts. We want to make sure everything is done correctly and to hold people accountable to their actions.”
The news of a whistleblower surfaced at the July 21 meeting when Mayor Cannon argued the need for a new city attorney, which the council agreed to over the advice of Wollenburg.
It’s about time! The city staff has been dirty for years and it doesn’t stop with the recorder. Hopefully, this will trigger a much more in depth discovery phase to uncover all of the corruption in that office. Time to clean up your house Depoe Bay and get rid of those on your staff who don’t play by the rules!
Good to see council and mayor finally doing the right things!