Mayor, Councilmembers, and City staff:

My name is Keith Nelson.

I submitted a long written public comment documenting the record of misconduct, boundary failures, conflicts, and violations involving City Manager Mike Futrell and the City Manager’s Office.

This Council has had this problem in front of it for far too long. The issue is not one Facebook post. It is not one anonymous letter. It is not one misunderstanding. It is a long pattern of this City Manager failing to maintain the most basic boundary between his public office, City employees, City information, City communications, City resources, and his household.

The records show City staff being pulled into matters involving Susan Freeman. They show City communications, City HR materials, City Hall access, economic-development messaging, employee-facing communications, private events, donation-related activity, and outside organizations flowing through or around the City Manager’s household.

The records also show that this City Manager had notice. Council had notice. The Mayor had notice. Yet for years, the City allowed this to continue.

That failure has harmed Riverside.

It has harmed employee trust. It has harmed public confidence. It has created legal exposure. It has destabilized the City. It has contributed to Riverside becoming a public embarrassment instead of a serious, professionally managed city.

And now the City Manager’s spouse has filed a claim against the City for one million dollars.

That changes everything.

The City Manager cannot protect the City’s interests while his own household is legally adverse to the City. He cannot supervise employees who may be witnesses. He cannot be trusted with confidential discussions, litigation strategy, risk-management decisions, employee complaints, City Attorney communications, or internal records involving this matter.

This is not personal. This is governance.

Your own agenda memorandum identifies this item as public employee discipline under Government Code section 54957. That confirms this is not rumor, not political noise, and not merely a family controversy. It is now formally before Council as a disciplinary matter involving the City Manager.

Council must treat it accordingly.

And because the memo states that any required disclosures shall include the vote or abstention of each member, the public deserves to know who protected the City and who protected the City Manager.

A City Manager has a duty of loyalty to the City. A City Manager has a duty to protect employees. A City Manager has a duty to preserve public trust. A City Manager has a duty to protect City resources and maintain professional boundaries.

Mike Futrell failed in those duties.

The Council also failed by allowing this problem to grow. You failed to act when the warning signs were obvious. You failed to protect employees. You failed to protect the City. You failed to manage the charter officer you hired.

Today is your opportunity to finally correct that failure.

Do not hide behind process. Do not hide behind contract language. Do not issue a weak reprimand and pretend the problem is solved.

The record is extensive. The conflict is obvious. The damage is ongoing.

Mike Futrell should be relieved of duty immediately, removed from access to City systems and confidential records, screened from all matters involving Susan Freeman’s claim, and terminated for cause if the evidence supports what the records already show.

Council, do your job.

Protect the employees.

Protect the taxpayers.

Protect the City of Riverside.