The Blue Earth City Council conducted a special meeting on Monday, Feb. 27, to discuss the results of an Internal Affairs Investigation into the Blue Earth Fire Department.

The council initially reviewed the investigation report during a closed session on Tuesday, Feb. 21. On Monday, the council finalized its response to the report’s findings and took immediate action.

Following closed session, the City Council voted to terminate both Nick Bleess Jr. and Jim Wirkus’ membership on the Blue Earth Fire Department (BEFD). The council also accepted the resignation of firefighter Ashley Bleess.

The results of the Internal Affairs Investigation – conducted by Michelle Soldo of Soldo Consulting, P.C. – indicated that internal conflict at the Blue Earth Fire Department originated with fire chief Steve Brown’s election in December, 2021.

By August, 2022, complaints surfaced from several BEFD officers regarding Brown’s leadership. The conflict came to a head at a City Council meeting on Aug. 22, 2022.

Prior to the Aug. 22 meeting, the involved officers had been advised by city administrator Mary Kennedy to put their concerns into writing and submit the document to her for consideration.

Bypassing Kennedy, the officers submitted a formal letter of complaint to the City Council on Aug. 10, 2022.

Among other things, the letter accused Brown of not having completed officer and leadership training. The officers also expressed dissatisfaction with the amount of communication they had received from Brown.

The council discussed the complaint letter in closed session on Aug. 10, after which they publicly declared their continued support for Brown, and maintained that the complaints did not present sufficient cause for further investigation.

In response to the council’s decision on Aug. 10, Ashley Bleess, Nick Bleess Jr. and Wirkus tendered their immediate resignations as assistant fire chief, lieutenant and captain. However, all three stated their intent to remain members of the BEFD.

A special City Council meeting was held on Aug. 22, during which the council officially accepted the former officers’ letters of resignation.

Roughly six months later, issues arose once again.

During closed session at a special meeting on Monday, Dec. 12, the council discussed additional complaints which had been filed in association with the BEFD and its firefighters, including allegations against each other and an officer.

The allegations concerned an accusation made against Chief Brown by Nick Bleess Jr. which was reported to law enforcement by Wirkus on Dec. 6, 2022.

The investigation report stated that the accusation, later proved to be false, was “publicly humiliating to Chief Brown and ‘demoralizing’ to other BEFD members who recognized the event as a failed attempt to undermine the Chief resulting in collateral damage to the reputation of the BEFD.”

In response to the escalating conflict, the council directed city staff to pursue an investigation into hostility and false allegations at the BEFD.

A fact-finding investigation was officially authorized on Jan. 11, 2023, to determine the reason for and source of the persistent internal conflict within the ranks of the BEFD.

Nine BEFD members were interviewed between Jan. 12 and Jan. 30, after which time the investigation record was closed.

The report’s findings indicated that since February, 2021, disruptive behavior that undermined Brown was occurring behind the scenes at the BEFD. The report also observed that the behavior reflected negatively on the public perception of the BEFD and negatively impacted BEFD morale.

On Feb. 27, the council determined the Internal Affairs Investigation’s findings showed its subjects’ conduct did not comply with the city’s Code of Conduct.

It was these findings which ultimately resulted in Nick Bleess Jr. and Wirkus’ termination from the BEFD.

The trustees of the Volunteer Fire Relief Association will determine whether Bleess and Wirkus are still eligible for their accrued retirement benefit pay-outs at a later date.