Jennifer Kovaleski is a Denver7 Senior Investigative Reporter.
FEDERAL HEIGHTS, Colo. — Federal Heights will once again look into the employment status of its city manager at a council meeting scheduled for Tuesday.The regular meeting will come six days after Mayor Pro Tem Doris Peterson began reading a motion during a special meeting to put City Manager Jacquie Halburnt on paid administrative leave, only to be stopped by City Attorney Bill Hayashi , who told the council that they could not introduce a motion because the agenda only listed a discussion item.
It was a bizarre turn at a meeting that was scheduled solely to discuss the employment statuses of Halburnt and Hayashi. What occurred left the residents in attendance stunned and upset. One resident called it a travesty while another said it was a mockery of the city.The special meeting was called less than two weeks after Police Chief Robert Grado and Fire Chief Marc Mahoney were abruptly fired. It ended without a discussion or a vote on Halburnt’s future, just shock and dismay, leading Mayor Linda Montoya to say she was “disappointed and ashamed” to be mayor of the city.Former Aurora City Attorney Charles Richardson told Denver7 Investigates the ongoing turmoil within the Federal Heights city government is unprecedented and said city council should consider hiring outside legal counsel.'This is very unique in a tragic way,' Richardson said.Denver7 Investigates showed Richardson video of the recent Federal Heights Special City Council meeting. Richardson, who spent nearly three decades serving as Aurora's city attorney, said taking adverse action against both top city officers at the same time creates a conflict of interest for the city attorney, who normally advises the council.'It just raises so many issues, because when the city manager is at risk, the reliance on the city attorney becomes so profound,' Richardson said.During the special meeting, there was confusion over whether the council could vote to place the city manager on paid administrative leave. Richardson said Hayashi, the city attorney, made the right call by not allowing a vote, since it was not listed on the agenda.'It's better to err on the side that the city attorney did, which was set up a future meeting and have it done right,' Richardson said.However, when asked if the council could have added an action item during the meeting to place the city manager on leave, Richardson simply said that the question was not addressed.Richardson warned that any action comes with legal risks for the city if not done properly, and the situation will impact residents.'Ultimately, they're going to bear the burden of all the turmoil that's going on at the high levels of their municipal government,' Richardson said.Adams County District Attorney Brian Mason previously told Denver7 Investigates that the fallout extends beyond politics.'I'm deeply concerned about the impact that this could have on community safety,' he said.Both Hayashi and Halburnt declined to comment after the meeting last week and did not respond to emails on Monday.
Bill Hayashi Charles Richardson City Attorney City Attorney Bill Hayashi City Manager City Manager Jacquie Halburnt Colorado Investigative News Denver Investigative News Denver Investigations
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