Mayor appoints new committee
Group charged with details concerning new administrator
GRAFTON—Mayor Chris West announced the names of the people who will serve on the ad-hoc committee to find a new administrator for the City of Grafton at Monday’s city council meeting. He also outlined the process and the council’s role in the selection.
Members of the ad-hoc committee include council president Len Wysocki, along with council members Jason DeGeldere and Greg Young. From the business committee, West selected Hans Halvorson and Duane Jonasson. Also chosen to sit on the committee are city employees Connie Johnson, auditor; and Brent McMillan, power superintendent; and of course Mayor West. It was moved by Chris Lipsh and seconded by Shane Mohn to approve the mayor’s appointments for the ad-hoc committee. The motion passed unanimously.“This committee will interview applicants, set parameters, put together a timeline, and make a recommendation to the full council,” West said.
It is the mayor’s hope that someone will be chosen to head operations at city hall sometime this spring. West has previously indicated he’s more interested in getting the right person for the job and making the right selection the first time than just naming a person by a certain date.
“I can’t say for sure what the committee will do. We could bring one person to the council, three or 10. After the council makes a motion on the person they would like to see be administrator I will appoint that person,” he said. “It is the mayor’s appointment to make, but I want to make sure everyone is involved in the process.”
West said the federal government is going to begin budget discussions in February. He is going to be in Washington, D.C., with the National League of Cities toward the end of February. There is funding for the city’s Urban Roads Fund he’s concerned about, plus he wants to try and secure some funding for Grafton’s flood diversion plan, which diverts the Park River north of Grafton and empties it back into the main river channel between the golf course and Oakwood.
With the absence of a city administrator, Mayor West is concerned about the city’s wants and needs being made to the people who matter in Washington, D.C., when it comes to federal funding. The mayor and the council have been discussing partnering with Kadrmas, Lee & Jackson’s (KLJ) Government Affairs Division to make sure representatives of Grafton’s interests are where they’re supposed to be and are talking to the right people in hopes of securing the most federal dollars for next year’s city budget.
Council member Don Hutson took exception with giving KLJ any more money.
“You would think they would want to do this for us. What are we doing here? You want to give KLJ money to talk to people to get us the money to give to them,” he said. “I’m not in favor of this at all.”
Council member Ken Gebhardt wanted to make clear that the plan wasn’t to pay KLJ’s Government Affairs Division plus a city administrator.
“I would be interested to see what their billing rates would be,” he said.
Lipsh said it would be nice to visit with cities who have used the service.
“Before we enter a contract with KLJ’s Government Affairs Division we should see if other cities were satisfied with services rendered and how everything was billed out,” he said.
Mayor West said he would gather some more information and bring the idea back to the council for further discussion.
Other business
In other business, the council approved a 2011 audit agreement with Drees, Riskey & Vallager, Ltd (DRV). After it was moved by Jason DeGeldere and Hutson, there was discussion brought up by Lipsh if the time hadn’t come to put the audit out on bids.
“At times, it seems we follow city policy with regard to our bid procedure and other times we don’t,” he said.
DRV is currently doing the audit at a cost of $10,500 and has done it since 1994. Johnson said she has been pleased with the work of DRV and a plus to having them complete the audit is they are familiar with the city’s operation. The motion to award DRV the 2011 audit passed unanimously. Mayor West said come budget time the city will discuss further if this audit should be placed on bids.
Beginning Jan. 14, ward members of the Grafton Council can begin circulating petitions. The deadline to file for all applicants challengers and incumbents is Friday, April 13. Incumbents and their wards who may or may not be seeking re-election are Mohn, Ward 1; Young, Ward 2; DeGeldere, Ward 3; Hutson, Ward 4; and Wysocki, Ward 5. The election will be Tuesday, June 12.