SLEEPY EYE — After nearly three hours of meeting in a closed session, the Sleepy Eye City Council unanimously approved four resolutions regarding preliminary allegations involving a city councilor Wednesday.

The matter is related to 13 complaints by city employees involving City Councilor Larry Braun since his election to the council last November. The complaints have not been made public.

The four approved resolutions were:

• Directing staff and legal counsel to prepare draft policies to apply to the mayor and the City Council, including addressing chain of command and communications between individual councilors and city staff.

• Engaging a qualified human resources specialist to provide training to the mayor, City Council and all staff on respectful workplace and related considerations and proper communications between the mayor and City Council, its members and city staff.

• Directing legal counsel to review the city’s personnel policies and explore opportunities to provide clarification on proper communications between the mayor, City Council members and city staff.

• Directing legal counsel to create a letter to send to the appropriate parties that will respect their right to privacy and instruct them to cease and refrain from inappropriate behavior.

“Everyone wants to put this behind them. We want to send a message to city employees that our city is protecting its employees from inappropriate behavior,” Sleepy Eye Mayor Wayne Pelzel said Thursday night.

Pelzel said he hopes the letter is complete for City Council approval at its next meeting that begins at 6 p.m., June 12.

Wednesday’s special meeting was called following a May 18 special City Council meeting.

At that time, the City Council and mayor met for about 50 minutes behind closed doors with Twin Cities attorney Annette Margarit. She presented results of her investigation of the issue. The report was not made public. The council then approved a resolution to seek more legal counsel.

“There isn’t an elected job without bumps on the road,” Margarit told the City Council. “Everyone does the best they can. Sometimes communication is difficult. I have sympathy for where you are sitting.”

Sleepy Eye City Attorney Alissa Fischer said she felt the council action to seek more legal counsel was a proper part of due process.