The Todd County Human Resources Department released the investigative report regarding the firing of Tim Cadwallader, former Todd County Solid Waste Administrator, on March 25.

Cadwallader was fired on Tuesday Feb. 16, following a closed session held between the county commissioners and their labor attorney Kristi Hastings. The reason for the firing was not made public until now so that the names of the various people interviewed during the investigation could be removed from the report.

According to the report, Cadwallader was arrested in Clarissa, on the afternoon of Dec. 21, by the Eagle Bend Police Department and the Todd County Sheriff’s Office. He had a .24 blood alcohol concentration. At the time Cadwallader was driving a county vehicle and was returning from a meeting in Perham in his capacity as Solid Waste Administrator.

According to statements obtained by attorney Hastings and Todd County Human Resources Director Karla Nalezny, Cadwallader was abusive and threatening to the arresting officers. He told the offi- cers he had been drinking heavily. In the truck he had what appeared to the officers to be a water bottle half full of liquor. He was unable to remain standing during his sobriety test.

When he was placed in the squad car he attempted to kick the windows of the vehicle out. Witnesses told Nalezny that Cadwallader had been weaving back and forth across both lanes of Highway 71 before he was detained by police in a Clarissa parking lot.

Cadwallader later told Todd County Commissioner Gary Kneisl that he remembered very little of the events of the afternoon of Dec. 21, including his violent and abusive behavior.

Cadwallader has since been convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol. He was fired by the county for violating a number of county policies, including the policy regarding a drug free work place. Solid Waste employees told investigators that they were not aware of previous alcohol abuse by Cadwallader while he was working. They acknowledged that they believed he had a drinking problem, however. There is no evidence in the county’s investigative file that Cadwallader had previous drinking and driving problems.

Tim Cadwallader worked for the Todd County Solid Waste Department from 1992 until he was fired. He was hired as a part time educator in 1992 and became the Solid Waste Administrator in 1999. He became a member of the Todd County Safety Committee in 2002 and was the Committee chairman from 2005 until he was fired.