Joe Base named acting police chief
An hourlong meeting of the Goessel City Council last Thursday, Oct. 17, found the city with a new police chief.
Current Goessel Police Officer Joe Base was named acting police chief at the meeting with a unanimous vote by the council.
Base replaces former chief Rollin Schmidt, who served as Goessel chief for three years. He gave his resignation in June to devote his full attention to his job as a Marion County sheriff's deputy.
Also at Thursday's meeting, the council approved a request by Joe Foudray to use the community room of the city building for a hunter safety course, to be held Nov. 5 through Nov. 9. Foudray will not be charged to use the room.
In other council business:
— Goessel Public Works Director Arlen Goertzen reported that after checking with Blue Cross Blue Shield, he was able to switch to a new insurance plan that will reduce the premium by $110.16 per month. The plan keeps the same coverage, he said.
— Water samples taken from a Goessel residence in September tested positive for coliform, Goertzen said. A subsequent re-test was also positive, and the city will now have to notify all residents of the results.
The positive coliform test doesn't pose a health hazard to the people of Goessel, Goertzen said. To correct the problem, the city raised chlorine levels in the water, and no samples have tested positive since then.
— In police activity from Sept. 19 to Oct. 17, officers drove 346 miles, issued one warning for failure to stop at a stop sign, issued three notices to appear for speeding, one notice to appear for a parking violation, one warning for trailer lights, and three warning for curfew violation. Officers also took two reports for criminal damage to property.
— The council authorized a new street light to be installed on Meadowlane Street.
— Construction on the new water tower will begin in November.
