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Complaint lists reasons Bloom was terminated

By Staff | Apr 8, 2013

Lying and not being prompt was too much for the Wells City Council to overlook.

That’s what apparently led to the firing of City Administrator Steve Bloom at the City Council meeting on March 25.

Last Tuesday, Mayor Ron Gaines was planning to hold a work session so the council could discuss how to proceed in filling the vacancy.

But, Councilmembers Ann Marie Schuster and Ashley Seedorf and City Attorney David Frundt were unable to attend, so the meeting was called off.

“David is going to talk with Steve first. I’m going to wait before another meeting is scheduled, if I need to,” says Gaines.

A written complaint filed and signed by Schuster and Gaines lists three areas in which Bloom was deficient.

“I, Ann M. Schuster, do allege that City Administrator Steven Bloom has failed to adequately perform the normal and reasonable duties of his position,” she wrote.

Bloom says he has yet to see the written complaint, so he is unable to make a comment on its content.

Bloom has said he is seeking legal advice.

The three-page document, signed on the day of the council meeting, accuses Bloom of:

failing to attend scheduled meetings on two separate occasions that required his attendance;

not completing mandated reports in a timely and professional manner;

and, willfully providing false information.

Bloom reportedly did not follow through on Schuster’s request to have the new administrative intern prepare a report of all Planning and Zoning Committee actions the past two years.

On another occasion the council was told the 2013 city budget was complete, when in fact portions remained unfinished and could not be presented at their March 11 meeting.

After the council and Bloom met in closed-session to discuss union contract negotiations, he was told to convey the city’s counter-proposals to the unions in writing as soon as possible.

The complaint says Bloom told the council on March 11 he had not yet contacted the unions and gave no explanation for the delay.

On the same day, Bloom reportedly said he had met with the city public utilities director to discuss the development plan for the new school, and Jeff Amy did not see any issues or problems.

“Councilmember Ann Schuster learned that Director Amy had, in fact, not met with Administrator Bloom … Director Amy had yet to be provided a copy of the agreement,” says the complaint.