Police chief resigns
The Goessel City Council met June 13 at the Goessel Civic Center Conference Room.
Public works director Arlen Goertzen discussed the removal of the dead trees in the park. The council approved purchasing 2x4's and providing labor to erect a privacy fence on the property line of the park and Kevin Goertzen's yard.
The council discussed the city code that requires property owners to be responsibility for the upkeep of the sidewalk and trimming of branches and bushes away from sidewalks.
The Boy Scouts have requested doing a service project in the park for the use of the shelter house for their area leaders' meeting. Arlen Goertzen mentioned painting benches and the rafters in the open shelter house.
The council has received a letter from the attorney for K.C. Development requesting that the city resume hauling their trash to Marion. Commissioner Bob Hein has requested being put on the agenda for the July meeting. No action will be taken until after the July meeting.
The council approved making changes in the weed ordinance. Property owners will be given seven days to mow their property. Those not complying will be charged $100.
The council voted not to provide funding to Communities in Schools of Marion County.
The council received a bill from Mcquire Iron for $94,500 for the work on the water tower.
The council approved having the city attorney write up a franchise agreement with the Moundridge Telephone Co. for three percent of the gross receipts to be paid to the city on a monthly basis effective Jan. 1, 2003.
City clerk Anita Goertzen informed the council that state statue requires an audit for any city whose revenue exceeds $275,000. Goessel will exceed that amount in 2003. No action was taken.
In other business:
— stone signs for the ball fields should be done sometime in July.
— discussed what needs to be done to obtain an easement for the walking bridge on the south side of Main near Pine.
— Joe Wuest submitted a Request for Qualifications for Professional Engineering Services for the CDBG project the task force is working on.
— a resident, who had sewer problems while Arlen Goertzen was out of town, submitted in a bill. The council sent the bill to Utility Maintenance Contractors.
— discussed the library budget and the need to publish a charter ordinance if the city raises its mills. There will be a special council meeting in July which will include a member from the library board.
After an executive session, the council voted to accept the resignation of Police Chief Rolling Schmidt. The consensus of the council was to increase the officers' hours to an average of 60 hours per month per officer and to increase the pay for the officer in charge of the paperwork. They then approved increasing Joe Bases' wages 25 cents an hour for the added responsibility of the administrative duties of the police department.
A further story about Schmidt's resignation will appear in next week's edition of the Star-Journal.
Police activity in the city from April 18 through June 13 included reports of BB guns being shot in the city limits, two accidents, children lighting fires in the park, six various warnings, two notices to appear, assisting the sheriff's office with a domestic case, and responding to four calls from the dispatch.
The council approved the purchase of a cell phone from Moundridge Telephone Co. for the police department and two cases of ammo.
