BEMIDJI-Full City Council support for Bemidji City Manager Nate Mathews was expressed during a performance review Monday, officials said.
The review is done annually for Mathews, who began the position in late spring 2015 after working as the city manager in Staples for eight years. In the lead up to the review, an anonymous survey is given to council members with a set of questions regarding performance, which are then reviewed during the meeting.
"We had a very positive and frank discussion and we're going to be reading our full conclusion at our meeting next Monday," Bemidji Mayor Rita Albrecht said following Monday's meeting. "We talked about the potential for some personal growth and professional development training for Nate."
According to Mathews, the annual reviews also serve as an opportunity to describe upcoming goals and objectives for the coming months.
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"What I do is put together one year of objectives based on what I work with," Mathews said. "With public infrastructure for example, we're going to do a utility study, we have staffing management changes, too, with a community development director coming onboard. We'd also like to get a special use tax proposal to the Legislature."
Mathews also said he plans to focus on preparing the city for phase three of an annexation plan with Northern Township coming in 2020. Next year, the city will be able to annex land north of Anne Street, up to Lakewood Drive Northwest and westward to U.S. Highway 71 and the Bemidji Regional Airport.
Other projects, such as the $2.2 million restoration of the historic Carnegie Library and the new $4.1 million liquor store at 500 Paul Bunyan Drive are also on the radar, Mathews said, with both wrapping up this summer.
Mathews has a salary just over $130,000 based on the city's public employee pay scale.
