FAIRMONT — As the Fairmont City Council meeting began Monday, council member Ruth Cyphers questioned whether anything can be shared regarding the report the council has been given from the police chief and the county attorney regarding some criminal cases that expired under the statute of limitations during the tenure of former City Attorney Elizabeth Bloomquist.

Mayor Debbie Foster said nothing can be shared at this time because the investigation is still active and the city has been advised by Flaherty & Hood, the city’s interim legal counsel, to share nothing at this time.

In other news, Foster said a pending state forensic audit will continue with a conference call Wednesday with nine staff members from the Minnesota State Auditor’s Office, as well as representatives the council has appointed. They are City Clerk Patty Monsen, city finance director Paul Hoye, Cyphers and Foster.

The audit will span 17 years of municipal bookkeeping.

“The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the scope of the forensic audit, as well as what the potential cost of the audit will be,” Foster said. “Once we have that information, we will bring it back to the council for them to take action.”

At the council’s previous meeting, Cyphers had been asked to share an email she sent to the State Auditor’s Office regarding the funds she says her constituents are telling her need to be considered in the audit.

These departments and individuals include the liquor store; Housing and Redevelopment Authority; Human Resources; vacation time; release agreements with Al Pelzer, Larry Reed, Molly Meyer, Pat Parsley and law enforcement; the airport; water park; tax increment districts; the dredge fund and the new water treatment plant.

Foster asked Cyphers if she would like to share with the community what irregularities her constituents are telling her need to be checked.

“I think that’s something that we can discuss at Wednesday’s meeting,” Cyphers said.

In other news, council went into closed session to continue a performance evaluation of City Administrator Mike Humpal. Humpal was put on paid leave at the Oct. 14 council meeting. Troy Nemmers, public works director/city engineer, was assigned the duties and responsibilities of city administrator on an interim basis.

After an hour-long closed session, Foster asked for a motion to continue the meeting and discussion at the next regular council meeting.

Turning to related matters, with his added responsibilities during the transition time, Nemmers has requested a wage increase from $114,858 to $147,347, which is what Humpal makes.

As Foster pointed out, Nemmers has more job duties now and is on call 24/7 as he is now the city’s go-to person.

The council unanimously approved the wage increase and made a motion stipulating that if Nemmers is in the same position at the start of the new year, his salary is going to be reconsidered until he is no longer assigned by the council to perform the duties and responsibilities of city administrator.

In other action, the council was asked to authorize council members Ruth Cyphers and Bruce Peters to work with legal counsel to negotiate any potential agreement with Humpal.

The council unanimously approved of both.