Vogt gets mostly good reviews in job evaluation

With the exception of one council member, City Administrator Dan Vogt received positive reviews in his first performance evaluation in the 18 years he has served as the city's chief appointed officer.

Vogt's evaluation was held by the Brainerd City Council in a closed meeting July 30. On Monday, the council released its report and council members were able to speak about Vogt's performance.

Mayor James Wallin, speaking on behalf of all council members except Bob Olson, said Vogt had achieved ratings of very good to excellent in all areas of his evaluation.

"To me, Dan is a very dedicated and conscientious city employee," Wallin said. "While no one is perfect, if there was a grade to give Dan Vogt, city administrator, it would be an A-plus."

Wallin noted that in speaking with elected and appointed officials from other government entities, they counted Brainerd fortunate to have Vogt as the city's administrator and that Vogt had earned the respect of his peers.

Olson compared the city to a private corporation in which residents are shareholders, the councilors are board members and Vogt is the chief executive officer. He said Vogt had shown very little progress in the last 18 years he had served as city administrator.

"Many times CEOs are replaced if goals are not achieved," Olson said, reading from a prepared statement.

Faults noted by Olson included limited improvement in city infrastructure, minimal downtown revitalization and improvement of blighted neighborhoods and an accelerated debt service.

Olson said that although Vogt was intelligent, articulate and dependable, had excellent writing skills and good attendance and punctuality, he had provided limited vision and leadership to the council and the city. He also said Vogt had developed a comfort zone relating to job security and had gained support of council members to keep many controversial issues under the radar.

"The administrator should challenge the council's leadership ability as well as the city council should challenge the administrator's leadership ability," Olson said in his prepared statement.

In response to Olson, Wallin said the city was like a private corporation in that it was the council's job to set policy and Vogt's job to enforce that policy.

"For him to go out on his own, he would be chastised," Wallin said.

No other council members, nor Vogt, discussed the performance evaluation at Monday's council meeting.

MATT ERICKSON can be reached at matt.erickson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5857.