Alice Pickering
Wyoming Area ReporterBrad Kollman, police best-practices consultant and a former police chief, has agreed to act as an administrator for the Wyoming police department in the transition period following Police Chief Mike TemteÇs announced retirement.
News was announced at the Nov. 3 council meeting. City Administrator Dennis Coryell told council Kollman has agreed to work with the city one or two days a week in an advisory capacity, not as acting-chief. Kollman has about a four-hour drive one way to get to Wyoming.
Among things to be settled is the optimal number of officers for the city, how to best add officers, creating an eligibility list and arrangement for county coverage. Kollman will be working with Sgt. Scott Dexter, Coryell, Mayor Vern Haag and Council member Sandy Standridge. For the time being, office practices, including shift scheduling, will continue to be performed by Dexter.
Haag said he believes the department looks strong, but that internally there is a problem with morale. He based this partially on officers applying for positions elsewhere.
Dexter disagreed, saying that within the department morale is high. The core of the officers is a tight group professionally. Officers who have applied for positions elsewhere have done so for professional advancement and higher salaries, he said. Dexter said his concern is trying to provide adequate coverage with four officers.
Kollman has had discussions about making the department as efficient as possible. Council members are interested in his opinions about how this might best be done. He touched on some issues of leadership and chain of command when he completed the police best practices study earlier in the year. Council members want to be certain there is 24-hour police protection for the city.
A written compliment from Clinton Letch to the city about the heroism and professionalism of Officer Brian Rod and Dexter, and the Wyoming Fire Department was read by Standridge. These officers and the fire department responded when a young child was hit by a trailer in a driveway in July. The child was treated at a local hospital and survived.
Water needs
According to Engineer Lee Elfering the city should begin to make firm plans to build an additional water tower soon. Elfering referred to past studies that show the need for an additional one by 2006.
He identified three possible sites for the tower. Sites considered include one in the industrial park, judged too low, because water would have to be pumped too high. The other sites are in/near Goodview Park and an area in the northeastern most area of the city.
Elfering is recommending the tower be in before 2006. He said this will help the ISO rating for the city and township. A new tower would be operational in 2005 if started now.
He estimated $1million in up front costs to begin a project.
The costs for the new tower would be about $1 a gallon plus the land costs. Cost of the trunk mains is estimated to be about $350,000 for 10-inch pipe. User fees pay for these services. Saving funds for future building is considered when the rate structure is set.
The city already owns the land at the Goodview site, but must consider the wisdom of locating a water tower in a park the city is developing. The other choice, somewhere in the northeast quadrant, would also serve to provide fire protection to the township and to the anticipated Polaris research facility.
In choosing the best location, Elfering is considering the new trunk main to the tower and distance from the city wells. Considerations are looping water mains/trunk lines to keep water pressure constant, mains large enough to transfer water from one area of the city to another.
There are specific volume requirements for commercial fire protection, about 600 to 1300 gallons per minute, that require 10-inch or larger pipe.
Elfering believes the best location for the tower is in the northeast quadrant. He is proposing a 500,000 gallon tank, a standard size. Most costs for such structures run about $1 per gallon.
Council member Ted Phillips asked if a larger tank would be advisable.
Elfering said a half-million gallon tank would buy the city about 10 years of service. It may be a larger size tower would be a better choice for the city, he said. There was discussion about tank capacity of 750,000 gallons or a one million gallon tank.
Land requirements for construction would be about 75 by 100 feet. Asked about underground tanks versus water towers, the maintenance dollar is better spent on towers versus a reservoir, he said.
Elfering was directed to move forward and identify a site for the tower, determining what it would cost for the land, if necessary.
Administratorís job
There are about 24 applications for the city administrator position.
Coryell said several are from out of state, several are women, and most have masterís degrees in public administration or a related field.
ìShould we be looking at more than one (person)?î Council member Lynn Koalska asked.
Coryell said he believes that will soon be necessary, ìNo one can do all things anymore,î he said. In his opinion, the job should almost be fit to the person(s). Some candidates have more experience in planning, others weighted to finance.
Council must consider starting salary for the position and consider the amount of traveling expenses to offer final candidates for the position.
Annexation move
Council approved annexation of an area just west of the McDonaldís restaurant parking. The owners want to expand the parking lot, but had to get the land from the township.
Township zoning does not allow for business uses as McDonalds. The annexation was of an area about 60 feet wide and approximately the length of the existing lot, to be ultimately used for its expansion. The township has already agreed to the annexation. Approval was by a 5-0 vote. The development agreement will include drainage, landscaping and lighting plans.
Elfering told council the quote for treated timber retaining walls for the Felix house was about the same as that for modular block walls, about $20 a square foot. The work might still be done this fall if a decision is made quickly about the elected erosion control.
Elfering suggested eaves on the house to route the water to the front of the house and/or directly to the lake. This would reduce the point sources of erosion. He suggested sod along the street and seeding the yard.
Council members approved a permit for resident Joe Buffington to keep four dogs at his home. His dogs each have had three months obedience training with Red Star, an obedience school in Hudson.
Buffington, who has recently moved to Wyoming from White Bear Lake, has invested about $8000 in their training. He breeds the dogs and usually sells the pups. The dogs wear bark collars and are indoors at night.
While he has asked neighbors if they object, he was asked to secure letters from them saying they are okay with the dogs at his home. Approval of the permit is contingent upon Buffington bringing letters to Coryell and having the dogs licensed. Approval was contingent on the city receiving no dog complaints. His permit is to be reviewed annually.
Coryell announced an EAW must be completed for the wastewater treatment site. Ponds need to be analyzed for leakage. The impact of relocating of the road must be determined. Coryell estimates $30,000 to complete the study. He is seeking three bids.
Regarding the burned out house along CR-22, Coryell said the demolition company must remove the basement walls by Nov. 15, or with perhaps a short extension. If the work is not done completely the city will create a lien on the house to pay for demolition.
Haag learned from County Commissioner Ben Montzka that plans are to resurface Highway 61 between Forest Lake and Wyoming during 2004. A state project and the resurfacing will include a mill and overlay.
Other business
In other business, council:
ïHeard compliments from a new resident about visible police presence on neighborhood patrols.
ïLearned from CM Martin English that Nathaniel Wilner is volunteering to serve as a member of the EDA.
ïLearned Chris Eng, Chisago Co. HRA has offered to help with city interviews of candidates for city administrator.
ïTabled a decision on a dental office building until the representatives could be present to answer questions and provide information.
ïLearned discussions have begun about library design, location of sections for adults, juveniles, and children in the building.
ïIn response to a question, learned that outdoor boat storage in the industrial park is a permitted use in the area.
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