Posted: 2/1/05
City will fund study for school intersection
By Jane Palen
Managing Editor
The Caledonia City Council took the first step towards safety improvements at the Highway 76/Esch Drive intersection by approving up to $5,000 for plans and specifications for installation of flashing lights which would alert drivers to the school crosswalk. Davy Engineering will be drawing up the plans.
Councilman Paul Fisch said he was in favor of asking the school to pay part of the cost.
ìThis is as much their issue as ours,î he said. ì Itís not in the budget. Maybe they will pay half.î
ìWe all agree that something needs to be done,î commented Mayor Mike Morey.
The council voted 4-1 to pay for the study with Fisch opposed to the city approving the expense in advance of speaking with the school.
School superintendent Michael Moriarty told Caledonia councilman Robert Standish later that evening that the school district could not commit to paying for part of the study, but that he would try to free up some money for it.
Journeyman hired for
electric department
The council also approved the hiring of a journeyman electrician and a subsequent bump in pay for the head of the electrical department.
The council voted to hire Matthew Blocker of Waukon as journeyman electrician at a wage of $22.50 per hour. He was one of three applicants for the position. As a journeyman, Blocker can perform a variety of tasks independently.
Two years ago, the city advertised for a journeyman electrician at a wage of $15.50 per hour and received no responses. The wage agreed upon for Blocker is in the range most cities are paying, according to Councilman Fisch, who was on the hiring committee.
However, the cityís head electrician, Roger Schmitz, receives only $18.50 per hour. Because he is in charge of the department, the hiring committee also recommended a pay increase for Schmitz to $24.50 per hour.
The increases must be approved by city employeesí association.
In another personnel matter, the council reported that interviews are continuing for the open police officer position.
Caledonia Argus
314 West Lincoln St.
P.O. Box 227
Caledonia, MN 55921-0227
507/724-3475
E-Mail: editor.argus@ecm-inc.com