Posted: 11/30/04
Council to extend offer for chiefís job; officer placed on leave
By Jane Palen
Managing Editor
With the retirement of Police Chief Duane St. Mary just weeks away, the Caledonia City Council agreed 3-1 at a special meeting November 29 to offer his job to Randy Shefelbine, a deputy with the Houston County Sheriffís Office. Voting in favor were Paul Fisch, Randi Vick and Mayor Robert Burns. Mark Schiltz abstained and John Klug voted against. Klug said he would have preferred to look at additional candidates before making the decision.
Of the three finalists for the position, two withdrew their names from consideration. Houston Police Chief Dave Breault was persuaded to stay in Houston after the city council there met in emergency session and agreed to a substantial pay increase for him and the addition of a part-time officer to the department.
The other finalist was Kevin Dather of Lake City.
There were 17 applications for the position of Caledonia Police Chief. The salary range was advertised as $45,000-$53,000.
If he accepts the position, Shefelbine will be on probation for one year.
Officer placed on
administrative leave
In another item related to the police department, the council placed Officer James Stemper on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of charges filed against him in Buffalo County, Wisconsin.
According to Mayor Burns, Stemper was charged with a Class A misdemeanor and is accused of not cooperating with authorities. He will appear in court in Buffalo County on December 15.
The city council also agreed to advertise for a full-time officer to replace an officer who resigned several months ago.
Residents must
sort recyclables
Caledonia residents must again sort their recyclables, the council decided at its regular meeting November 22. The request to have the items sorted by type was made by Richard Skauge of Richardís Sanitation, who explained that the county will no longer be processing recyclable materials and he will have to transport them to a different facility. That facility requires that the materials be sorted, he said.
When the city first began collecting recyclables, the materials needed to be sorted by type: glass, tin and aluminum, certain plastics and paper. Then, the county no longer required the separation of the materials.
The council agreed that recyclable materials must be sorted according to type beginning January 1. Those not sorted will not be collected.
On a related matter, the council asked Skauge if it would be possible to provide smaller bags for residents. He responded that the price difference between the two sizes would be so small that it wouldnít be worth offering the bags in two sizes. He noted that the smaller bags were tried in the past. Many of the outlets find handling the bags a bother, and having two sizes might be burdensome, he added.
The council approved a zoning variance of 27-ft. for an addition to Skaugeís building at the Industrial Park.
Strongís Karate will
rent from city
The city has agreed to rent the auditorium to Bruce Strong for karate classes.
At the November 22 meeting, Strong explained that in his current arrangement with the school, his classes are often bumped. At the auditorium, he can offer classes year-round and can move to the basement if another activity is taking place upstairs. His classes are held on Tuesdays.
Strong will pay $11 per hour for use of the auditorium, the same rate he now pays to the school district.
The city also agreed to rent the auditorium on Mondays and Wednesdays for the youth basketball program. The charge is $250 for the season.
Ad for journeyman
electrician OKíd
The city council agreed to advertise for a journeyman electrician.
City electrician Roger Schmitz told the council that the city is getting larger and the work of the electrical department more complicated and he needs to have someone with journeyman experience now. The second person in the electrical department is working towards the journeyman designation but wonít achieve it for several years.
ìThe position would pay for itself,î said Schmitz, explaining that certain jobs now have to be contracted out at a higher rate than the city would be paying its own employee.
City clerk/administrator Robert Nelson contacted several nearby communities to see what they pay journeyman. Pay ranged from $18.84 per hour to $22.67 per hour.
The city will advertise for the position with pay to be based on experience.
Permit denied
The council denied a permit application from Walter and Rosine Macomber, 517 South Marshall St., to build a safety handrail around the roof of their carport. The Macombers were not at the meeting.
Councilman Paul Fisch commented that if the handrail was for safety reasons, it does not need to be all around the roof.
Items delayed
The council tabled two items from its November 22 agenda.
A decision on the resurfacing of Washington Street from the Courthouse to Kingston Street at a cost of $6,000 was delayed until after the December 6 budget meeting.
Also postponed was a decision on the cityís 2005 contract with the Southeastern Minnesota Development Council (SEMDC) for the services of community development director Joyce Iverson. SEMCD requested a rate of $29 per hour, or $30,160 per year, an increase of 3.6 percent over 2004ís rate.
The council will take up that matter again at its next regular meeting on December 13.
Caledonia Argus
314 West Lincoln St.
P.O. Box 227
Caledonia, MN 55921-0227
507/724-3475
E-Mail: editor.argus@ecm-inc.com