Cottonwood City Council member Derek Palosaari offered a public apology during Wednesday’s city council meeting, for inappropriate comments he made about a female city employee’s body at a December employee appreciation event.

Palosaari said he meant the comment as a joke between friends, but immediately saw that it offended her, and apologized. He also said he realizes his comment was inappropriate for any public official; but denied that it rose to the level of sexual harassment; though the city’s Human Resources Manager determined that it did.

Palosaari accused Mayor Tim Elinski and the recently-resigned City Manager and Attorney of amplifying the incident into a corrupt political attack to try to remove him from the council; and also noted that before the incident, he had never received any formal or informal complaint about his behavior.

However, in the Human Resources investigation following the December incident, multiple city employees spoke of previously unreported incidents of unwanted physical contact, comments about their appearance, or other behavior deemed unprofessional. A redacted investigation report is available via public records request through the City Clerk’s office.

The issue also affected a later vote to appoint citizen Cathy Ransom to the City’s Board of Adjustment, which hears zoning-related variances and appeals. A prior council interview deemed Ransom was qualified, but the vote failed after Council member Michael Mathews accused her of being a political operative because she has filed recall petitions against council members Palosaari and DuVernay, criticized them in the press and serves on the Board of Directors for the Democrats of the Red Rocks.

In light of this and other recent issues of contention within city leadership, Councilmembers Steve DeWillis and Helaine Kurot, along with multiple members of the public, said the council needs to improve their communication and cooperation, for the good of the city.

Josh Freeman | KAZM News Director | josh@mellowmountainradio.com