Olson wants HRA, planning committee member ousted

Brainerd City Council member Bob Olson requested Friday the council go into a closed session Monday to deal with Eric Makowski Budrow's involvement with the city in light of a December 2009 guilty plea Makowski Budrow entered for embezzlement.

Larry Lewis of the U.S. District Court office in Minneapolis said Friday Makowski Budrow pleaded guilty to embezzlement of a tribal organization in an amount more than $1,000.

Makowski Budrow, who is a member of both the Brainerd Housing and Redevelopment Authority and the Brainerd Planning Commission, said the charge involved theft from an Indian tribe.

In a letter to the council, Olson said the man who entered the guilty plea is a member of the paid, on-call fire department and is installing a security system for the city's two fire halls.

"I'm going to ask that he submit his resignation to the HRA, the planning commission and to the paid, on-call fire department," Olson said. "And I'm going to insist he no longer have anything to do with the security system."

Makowski Budrow said he told retired Fire Chief Fred Underhill of his legal problems some time ago. He said he hopes the city council allows him to attend the closed session. Makowski Budrow said he is cooperating with the FBI in its investigation and is trying to make things right.

"I did get involved in a lot of different tribal politics," he said. "I messed up."

Makowski Budrow said he enjoys his volunteer work on city commissions but would gladly resign from the two bodies if that's the council's request.

MIKE O'ROURKE may be reached at mike.orourke@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5860.