Breezy Point City Administrator Resigns, Citing Hostile Work Environment

Breezy Point City Administrator David Chanski has handed in his resignation to the city during its city council meeting on Tuesday.

Chanski said his reason for leaving is a hostile work environment. According to the language of the contract, Chanski must be paid six months of his salary, which is $110,000.

Because Chanski’s reason for his resignation is a hostile work environment, that means he can effectively deem himself terminated and still get the benefits of his contract. One of those benefits is the six-month salary payout.

During the meeting on Tuesday, the city attorney presented Chanski’s resignation to the council, which left some council members with a few concerns.

“Anyone can assert most anything they want to when it comes to an unsafe or hostile environment,” said council member Brad Scott. “What can we understand to have happened to where the administrator would feel as though he’s been subject to a hostile work environment?”

“My understanding from the document provided by Mr. Chanski is that underlying that assertion is not only how staff handled or responded to the most recent incident, but also other instances that have gone on or occurred over the past year and a half,” stated city attorney Joseph Langel.

Mayor Angel Zierden wanted to remind the council that by Minnesota law, the city budget for 2025 is due very soon. She says digging into this situation isn’t the best way to handle it, but finding an interim city administrator is what they should focus on at this time.