BEMIDJI -- The Bemidji City Council met in a closed session Monday to evaluate the performance of City Manager Nate Mathews.
The April 26 meeting is an annual spring step for the council, as it reviews Mathews' job performance on a yearly basis. Mathews was hired in the position in late spring 2015, after having worked in the same role in Staples for eight years.
In 2020, Mathews' performance review was held on April 27 and a summary was provided to residents on May 4. The summary noted that the council expressed its "unanimous support for the city manager" and also used the meeting to discuss challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic.
This year, the plan to share the summary at the next council meeting is similar.
"At the end of the meeting, we decided that (Mayor) Jorge Prince will prepare a three-sentence statement about the council's conclusion on the evaluation," Ward 5 Councilor Nancy Erickson said. "On May 3, we will be presenting that statement during the council meeting."
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Another part of the annual review includes Mathews sharing goals and objectives for the next 12 months. Erickson said Mathews had a list of nearly 20 goals for the year, including items such as the future of the Neilson Reise Arena, work on the new water chemical treatment plant and potential upgrades a the wastewater treatment facility.
Erickson said the council may hold a work session in the future to go over the goals in more detail.
