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City council names Jim Stemper interim commanding officer
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By Charlie Warner
Argus News Editor
By a 4-1 vote the Caledonia City Council named Officer Jim Stemper temporary officer in charge of the Caledonia Police Department, effective June 1, 2009 until a new police chief has been hired. The council action, which was taken during the May 11 council meeting, was necessary because there will be a four to six week gap from the May 31 resignation of Chief Randy Shefelbine and when the council felt a new chief would be in place.
Shefelbine attended the May 11 meeting and urged the council to name Stemper interim chief ASAP. He said he needed time to bring the officer up to speed with some of the management responsibilities and scheduling duties.
Several council members wondered if an interim chief was really needed, or if the city could get by for four to six weeks without one.
City Administrator Bob Nelson replied that he had checked with the Minnesota League of Cities who “strongly recommended an interim chief be named.”
A question was raised as to whether the temporary promotion would affect the union contract the Caledonia Police Officers Association was under. Nelson responded that the city could get by without altering the contract by writing a memorandum to the existing contract, since this was a temporary position.
“I don’t have any problem with putting Officer Stemper in charge on an interim basis, but what are we going to do about the increase in pay?” Mayor Bob Burns asked. “Have you spoken to Jim about this?” he asked Shefelbine.
Shefelbine said he had and recommended a $1 per hour increase.
“We wouldn’t have to call the position interim chief, would we?” Burns asked. “Couldn’t we call it interim commanding officer?”
Nelson and the other council members felt that title would work. “I feel we need to make this decision tonight, otherwise Randy will only have four days to bring someone up to speed,” Councilwoman Randi Vick said. Vick then made a motion to name Stemper interim commanding officer, effective June 1 until a new police chief was hired. Burns seconded the motion.
Vick, Burns, Councilmen Bob Lemke and Councilwoman Peggy Perry voted in favor of the motion, while Councilman Tom Murphy voted against it.
Police chief interviews
There were 19 applications for Shefelbine’s position. After reviewing those applications, the field was narrowed to eight candidates, all of which were interviewed by the full council, Nelson and the police chiefs of Goodview and Preston. The council decided to have several veteran police chiefs be part of the interviewing process to bring a different perspective to the mix.
The field of eight will be narrowed down to three or four and then a second series of interviews will take place.
In other council action:
Wages reimbursed
The council approved the reimbursement of lost wages to Pat Lemke, a member of the Caledonia Area Ambulance Association. Lemke was subpoenaed to testify in court in a case that had to do with the ambulance association.
Due to mitigating circumstances with court delays, Lemke was forced to take a day off of work without pay to testify. She requested that since she was testifying on the city’s behalf, she would like to be reimbursed for her lost wages.
Nelson said he contacted the League of Minnesota Cities, which recommended the city reimburse Lemke at her regular hourly rate.
The council approved a motion to do so with Councilman Lemke abstaining.
VISA card limit
Nelson asked if the council would be in favor of increasing the limit on the city’s VISA card from $3,000 to $5,000. Nelson explained that all of the department heads use the charge card for various city purchases, especially when a purchase is being made for the first time by a new vendor. By using the card instead of billing the city, lengthy credit forms don’t need to be filled out.
Burns said he felt the $3,000 limit was plenty. “If we pay if off every month, there shouldn’t be an issue. At a time when we’re trying to do everything we can to cut budgets and prepare for cuts in aid, I don’t feel we should be increasing our charge card,” the mayor said.
“If it’s (a city purchase) anything huge, the department head needs to come to us anyway. I don’t feel we need to do anything with this request,” Lemke added.
No council action was taken.
Under federal quarantine
Several weeks ago it was announced Houston County was under state ash quarantine, as the emerald ash borer (EAB) had been detected just across the Mississippi River in Vernon County, Wis.
According to City Zoning Administrator Mike Gerardy, the county has now also been quarantined by the federal government.
The quarantine is on firewood, ash trees, and ash tree products in Houston County. The precautionary measure is designed to prevent the spread of emerald ash borer, a highly destructive tree pest recently discovered in Victory, Wis.
While EAB spreads slowly on its own, it can hitch a ride to new areas when people transport firewood or other wood products infested with the larvae. For this reason, prohibiting the movement of potentially infested products such as firewood and ash nursery products is a common tool used to slow the spread of the pest.
An informational meeting on EAB and what signs to look for will be held June 3 at the Four Seasons Community Center in Caledonia from 6 to 8 p.m.
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