Nowthen thrust into turmoil as three city staff members resign

The small Anoka County city of Nowthen has been thrust into chaos after three members of the administrative staff resigned effective last week, alleging they were bullied, harassed and intimidated by the mayor and a City Council member.

City Clerk and Treasurer Lori Streich, Deputy Clerk Ellen Lendt and administrative assistant Lisa Lorenson all left their positions last Friday, leaving just public works employees and its contracted staff, who provide the majority of services to residents, said Mayor Jeff Pilon.

An interim city administrator started work Monday along with an interim team to provide assistance. Public safety is unaffected by the change as the city already contracts with St. Francis for its Fire Department and gets police services from Anoka County.

The three women said they loved their jobs and serving the 4,800 residents of Nowthen, but the constant berating, micromanaging, harassment and attacks by Pilon and Council Member Mary Rainville created a "toxic and hostile work environment" that drove them to quit, Streich said.

"They were constantly degrading and belittling me and my staff," Streich said in an interview. "They feel like they have to control everything."

Rainville declined to comment. Pilon said the employees who resigned did so voluntarily and that he is unable to comment on issues regarding their departures or to speculate on any reasons for the resignations.

"The Nowthen City Council is committed to recruiting qualified and enthusiastic administrative staff who will provide exceptional service for our residents," Pilon said. "We ask for patience from our residents during this time of transition."

This was not the first time Streich resigned over the same issues. She served as Nowthen's deputy clerk from 2017 to 2018. During her first tenure, Streich said Pilon often came into her office when the city clerk was gone and attacked the clerk, saying she wasn't doing her job right.

Streich left Nowthen to take a job in another city, and in her exit interview told Pilon, "I don't like how you treat the city clerk," she recalled.

Streich said Pilon persuaded her to come back to Nowthen as city clerk in 2019 and promised things would be different. Streich, a Nowthen resident who said she is proud of her city, took the chance and came back. It turned out to be much worse, she said.

"It was horrible. I was in the hot seat," she said. "I am not eating. I am not sleeping. I was stressed out."

In her resignation letter, Streich said Pilon and Rainville sent her 50 to 80 e-mails a month demanding responses and that the mayor asked her to use "weasel words" when speaking to residents, and talk negatively about city staff and contractors. "You two have taken my passion for the job away," she wrote. "I do not support the current leadership style under your command and cannot give my precious time and talent to it."

Streich handed in her resignation letter in September to allow enough time to train her successor.

Lendt, the deputy clerk since May 2018, handed in her resignation two weeks ago. She said there had been problems for years.

"There are only a couple elected officials who have remained constant through the years, and yet the hostile work environment remains, and the communication between Staff and Council is still a problem," she wrote.

Lendt went on to say that she has endured personal attacks on her character, been slighted due to her age and that family members have been harassed.

"I cannot willingly stay and allow this level of stress in my life," she wrote, noting that would mean giving up her pension.

At an Oct. 25 communications meeting, Public Works Supervisor Joe Glaze echoed her feelings.

"This stuff has been going on for 16 years. You have been harassing people, hostile work environment," he said at the meeting. "Micromanaging. Both of you have been a pain since you got elected. We would like to see you do the right thing and resign."

Streich said the departed employees have sought legal counsel to determine their next steps, though no formal action has been taken.