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Danielle “Dani” Burkhart, who spent a tumultuous six months working for the City of Blue Lake last year, has submitted claims for damages against the city over a number of alleged labor code violations, including whistleblower retaliation, improper demotion and unlawful termination. 

Burkhart. | LinkedIn.

Burkhart was hired in February 2025 to be the city’s finance manager but soon thereafter got appointed acting city manager following the abrupt departure of Amanda “Mandy” Mager. (Burhkart’s claim letter says Mager was fired by the newly elected city council; the council itself has described the decision as mutual.)

The claim letter, submitted by L.A.-based attorney Bryan J. Lazarski, says that as acting city manager, Burkhart’s top priority was to bring the city into compliance with state housing law by submitting a long-overdue updated housing element with state housing authorities. 

“Ms. Burkhart, for her part, had numerous communications with city councilmembers urging their compliance with state law, but City Council at all times appeared intent on evading compliance by rejecting and delaying actions taken,” the claim letter states.

It goes on to allege that Mayor John Sawatzky and other councilmembers routinely violated the city code’s “division of powers” provisions by giving orders directly to employees, rather than going through the city manager, and by ordering Burkhart herself around outside the confines of city council meetings.

Last July, Burkhart submitted a memorandum to City Council raising serious concerns about certain councilmembers’ “unprofessional” conduct. Meanwhile, she was being made to work 60-plus hours per week, with no days off, in violation of state labor laws, the letter says.

It further alleges that the council broke California’s open meetings law, the Ralph M. Brown Act, when it hired Jill Duffy to replace Burkhart as interim city manager, and that when Burkhart sought to lighten her workload by resigning from the additional city clerk duties she’d been assigned, Duffy retaliated by accusing Burkhart of insubordination, disrespectful behavior and going AWOL.

“No specific examples of any of these things were provided, and it appears to be nothing more than … pretext and retaliation,” the attorney’s letter says

Burkhart is seeking financial damages in excess of $10,000 and plans to sue in Humboldt County Superior Court if the city fails to act within 45 days of the notice.

Current Blue Lake City Manager Jennie Short is recommending that the city council reject the claims. The matter is on the consent calendar for Tuesday’s City Council meeting.