I received Mr. Grausz’s email last week. The email includes the same position communicated by Mayor Pearman on numerous occasions: the settlement is not our fault; it is the fault of the insurance company, the judge and Ms. Lindell.

I do not believe insurance companies make million dollar payments if they believe a case is without merit, and I don’t believe judges make decisions without reason. Ms. Lindell is a highly respected attorney known for her professionalism and integrity. This is evidenced by her success as the city attorney in Federal Way and Mercer Island. Mr. Conrad admitted under oath that he propositioned a subordinate for sex and acted inappropriately in matters involving the HR director and her husband.

I own a business on Mercer Island and have been an employer for 30 years. Mr. Conrad’s actions would be grounds for dismissal from just about any company in the private sector. However, our city reacted by firing Mr. Sterbank, our city attorney, Ms. Lindell, our assistant city manager, and an independent investigator after all concluded that Mr. Conrad’s behavior was inappropriate. Mr. Pearman testified under oath that he fired Ms. Lindell for lying, but without ever speaking to her about these lies. These are the reasons our city has paid out millions of dollars, not the insurance companies, not Ms. Lindell, and not the judge.

It is time for someone in City Hall to take responsibility. I believe most of our city employees are honest, hardworking professionals. However, there is absolutely no excuse for Mr. Conrad’s continued employment by our city. The Mercer Island city manager position has to be one of the plum jobs in the country. We would have plenty of highly qualified applicants to move our city forward.

Kelly Sterling