Steve Freshour

TOWER— Steve Freshour is now the city’s fire chief and interim ambulance supervisor. The city council here approved those changes last Wednesday, Sept. 2, in a special meeting to, among other things, address the recent resignation of interim ambulance supervisor Jen McDonough.
Despite her decision to resign last month, McDonough made it clear to the council that isn’t going quietly. She attended last week’s council meeting to read a three-page statement, which she described as a chance to “put several facts on the public record.”
In it, McDonough said she was blindsided at a July 21 personnel meeting and was never given a clear written explanation of the reasons that the city’s personnel committee opted to recommend her termination. She noted that she had requested the opportunity to respond in a public meeting. “My reason was simple: transparency,” she said. Two of McDonough’s sons also read statements to the council critical of the city’s handling of their mother’s employment. Her 16-year-old son Remy said the incident had been very stressful for the entire family.
McDonough also protested the city’s refusal to include her 11-page letter of resignation and 33-page supplemental document in the council packet for Wednesday’s special meeting. The Timberjay reported on McDonough’s letter and supplemental document in its 8/28 edition.
Clerk-treasurer Tammy Mortaloni acknowledged later in the meeting that the city had received McDonough’s resignation letter and other documents but said they didn’t become public until after the council’s acceptance. She told McDonough that the city’s employment law attorney had advised that the council could accept her resignation without releasing any related paperwork. The documents, however, could be publicly accessed through a data practices request.
In voting to accept McDonough’s resignation, council member Joe Morin read a statement to clarify his vote at last month’s regular meeting on a recommendation to terminate McDonough. He noted that he is a member of the city’s personnel/HR committee, which is comprised of himself, the clerk-treasurer, and Mayor Dave Setterberg. He said “due to evolving and concerning circumstances, the committee reviewed, discussed, and ultimately came to a unanimous decision to recommend termination of employment of the former interim ambulance supervisor.”
Morin said he ultimately voted against termination after hearing from other council members during discussion on the issue, but wanted to make it clear that Mayor Setterberg had not acted independently in recommending McDonough’s termination, but had been speaking for the personnel/HR committee. He further apologized to Setterberg “for any negative and unfortunate fall-out that may have resulted due to my vote on the matter.”
In the end, the council voted 3-1, with council member Bob Anderson dissenting, to accept McDonough’s resignation.
Hirings
After hearing from the McDonoughs, the council took action to hire Freshour as the city’s permanent fire chief. Freshour had been serving as interim fire chief for the past year. “I spoke with him, and he stated that he loves the job and wanted the permanent appointment,” said Mortaloni.
Freshour will be hired at the previously approved fire chief salary of $6,000 a year.
After accepting McDonough’s resignation, the council immediately voted unanimously to hire Freshour as interim ambulance supervisor as well. Freshour has been an EMT with the service for the past six years and has consistently been the service’s top responder.
The council then set Freshour’s compensation at $25 an hour for a 24-hour work week, equating to an annual cost of $31,200. While that pay rate is well above the $12.50 an hour the city was paying McDonough in the position, the city was covering medical insurance for McDonough. Freshour has opted not to take the city coverage.
In other action, the council:
• Voted to replace McDonough with Freshour as the city’s representative on the Tower Ambulance Commission.
• Agreed to advertise for a part-time EMS assistant position, at an estimated salary of $6,000/year.
• Approved a resolution to apply for Downtown Redevelopment funding through Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation for the hair salon building currently under construction on Main Street.