A former employee has filed a $10 million claim against the city of Orting, alleging that he was wrongfully terminated after bringing attention to problems with the city’s wastewater treatment plant, among other things.

The city hired John Bielka as the city’s capital projects manager in June 2022. City leaders put the 63-year-old on administrative leave in March of this year, then fired him June 12, according to records he shared with The News Tribune.

“The City terminated John Bielka’s employment following a third-party investigation that resulted in findings warranting termination,” City Administrator Scott Larson told The News Tribune in a statement Sept. 23. “The integrity of our City’s workforce is paramount. The City stands by the termination.”

Bielka filed a tort claim Aug. 28 as a precursor to a lawsuit. It starts a 60-day clock, after which Bielka can file a lawsuit against the city if the matter is not resolved.

He has also filed a whistleblower complaint against the city that has been assigned to an administrative law judge, Bielka’s attorney, Richard Wooster, told The News Tribune.

“Mr. Bielka was placed on administrative leave after he documented that there were ongoing concerns with the wastewater treatment plant, the proposed design of the plant, and constant leaching of wastewater into the aquifer surrounding the wastewater treatment plant that has continued unabated for over a year,” the tort claim alleges.

$10 million in grant funding

The claim says...

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