After defeating one-term incumbent Commissioner Pat Haley in the April city/school election, Mark Robish was sworn in Monday as Huron’s newest city commissioner.

He will start his first year in office as the city’s public works commissioner, in charge of engineering, water and wastewater, streets and golf. He succeeds Commissioner Kerwin Haeder in that position.

Haeder is the new public safety commissioner, responsible for the police and fire departments and the airport. Haley had served in that role.

Commissioner Dale Schneider will remain finance commissioner, serving as liaison with the finance department, library and building inspections. The building inspections role is a new responsibility.

Commissioner Jan Manolis will stay as utilities commissioner, in charge of the solid waste, parks and recreation and planning departments. Parks and recreation and planning are new responsibilities.

Mayor David McGirr will continue to be department liaison with the city attorney, public buildings and street lights. Commissioners reappointed all of the appointive officers for the coming year.

They are Larry Cooper, airport manager; Roger Bell, building inspector; Doug Schmitt, chief of police; Dennis Meyer, deputy chief of police; Mike Wever, engineer; Paullyn Carey, finance officer; Carol Tschetter, deputy finance officer; Ron Hines, fire chief; Howard Alter, first assistant; Brandon Neitzert, second assistant; Rick Button, golf maintenance superintendent; Colleen Smith, library director; LaRon Klock, parks and recreation director; Ralph Borkowski, planner; Dale Fortin, solid waste superintendent; Phil McCaskell, street superintendent; and Vince Juelfs, water-sewer superintendent.

Meanwhile, the commission approved a protocol covering how the police department will handle the referral of domestic violence advocates to victims. The protocol was necessary because there are now two local advocate services operating in the city.

In addition to the YWCA Family Violence Program, there is also the Family Safe Center.

The city drafted an advocate referral protocol in order to maintain a neutral position with the two services.

McGirr said the protocol provides a detailed accounting so both agencies are treated equally and fairly. Both entities have agreed to the policy. Transparency is even more important since Manolis, a member of the commission, recently established the Family Safe Center.

In a weekly update on the James River, commissioners learned that the river level was at 16.5 feet as of Monday. It will now start dropping slowly. Water is expected to be off Jersey Avenue today, and the police department will then decide when to reopen the street.

Schneider reported to the commission that sales tax revenues have declined $84,000, or 4 percent, compared with this period a year ago.

In other action, the commission:

• Accepted the resignation of Dick Werner from the Mid-Dakota Rural Water Development Board and appointed Jeff McGirr as his replacement.

In his letter of resignation, Werner said he was recently elected to the Campbell County Bank Board in Herreid, which his family has had an interest in since its inception, and the board meeting dates and times will conflict with those of the Mid-Dakota board.

• Accepted the retirement/resignation of Sgt. Larry Quam from the police department effective Saturday. Quam has been with the department for 32 years.

Commissioners hired Derek Layher as a police officer from the current civil service list of applicants.

• Authorized the police chief to apply for $17,425 in federal grant dollars from the stimulus package to be used to purchase licensing and software for patrol car laptop computers.

• Approved an updated utility application due to a recent anti-fraud ordinance the board passed.

• Approved the sale of musical instruments and equipment to the Huron School District. The instruments and equipment were found in a padlocked room after the city purchased the Fine Arts Center. The negotiated sale price to the school district was $5,000.

• Approved a request from the Beadle County Commission to abate delinquent taxes and to support the county in the collection process for mobile homes and buildings on leased sites. The commission also approved a county request for an assessment freeze for the elderly or disabled on a parcel of property in city limits.

• Awarded a $41,600 bid to Sioux Land Trailers of Harrisburg for a side dump trailer for the street department.

• Deferred awarding bids for three pickup trucks for the parks and recreation and building inspections departments for more review.

• Approved a fireworks public display permit for the Huron Volunteer Fire Department for July 4 at State Fair Speedway.

• Approved a change order with Olson Construction of Huron increasing a contract for sanitary sewer lift station and wet well replacement projects by $6,942. They also approved a progress payment of $130,062.

• Approved a $73,177 progress payment to Asphalt Paving & Materials Co. of Huron for curb, gutter and asphalt work.

• Approved alcoholic beverage consumption requests for John Freese for the Freese family reunion Aug. 13-16 at Memorial Park campground and for Pennie Lutz for July 5 at the Ravine Lake east shelter.

• Set May 18 as the hearing date for two special events malt/wine licenses filed by the Huron Chamber & Visitors Bureau for Business After Hours events June 9 at Ace Realty & Auction and July 14 at Putters and Scoops.

• Approved hiring recommendations for additional substitute lifeguards, for an engineering assistant for the summer and for part-time seasonal employees at the library.

• Agreed to post for a firefighter position and issue a civil service call if necessary.



For the complete article see the 05-05-2009 issue.

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