New Richland City Council
By JESSICA LUTGENS
Staff Writer
A summary of two recent closed sessions of the New Richland City Council was given during the first regular council meeting of the month on Monday, May 13, for which all members were present. The closed sessions were held for the purpose of discussing former care center administrator Larry Passel, whose recent six-month review showed a failure to meet expectations and resulted in the decision by the council to discontinue Passel’s employment with the care center. No further details were given.
In regards to the concession stand at Reese/Legion Field, the council approved a cost of $2,693 for materials and labor to get the building up to code. The floors of the building are good, and a fairly new refrigerator and freezer already in the building will be used. It was agreed to rent the building to Quad Cities baseball for operation during the season at a cost of $200.
The sale of six surplus pagers, which are now obsolete due to Waseca County’s recent upgrade of pagers, to Ellendale at a cost of $100 each was approved.
Tony Martens presented the police report, which stated that the NRPD responded to 148 calls in April. A purchase request for Lexipol Policy and Training Software at a cost of $2,456 annually was approved. The purpose of the program is to control policy and documentation for the department and reduce risk and liability. Martens noted that the program is used by the Waseca Police Department and the Waseca County Sheriff’s Office, and Martens used the program for six years while employed with the Sheriff’s Office.
Ordinance violations are again a priority for the department this year, and it was noted that last year’s ordinance enforcement efforts were successful. Two requests were made, which the council approved moving forward with: obtaining a “No Overnight Parking” sign at Legion Field, and beginning the process of amending the city’s rental ordinance to require background checks for all renters in the city. In researching, Martens found that New Richland is the only city around that does not currently require background checks for renters, and feels it would benefit and protect the city and its landlords to require background checks.
A short discussion was had on a program called CERT, or Community Emergency Response Team. The program provides training and certification for individuals to aid in disaster relief and would allow individuals to oversee tasks such as directing traffic, distributing sand bags, etc. In the past, according to Martens, not much interest was shown in the program, but participation from residents would especially benefit a town such as New Richland, which is prone to flooding. It was noted that efforts to reach out via Facebook will be made regarding the CERT program.
This year’s New Richland Night to Unite will be held Thursday, August 8, with details to be determined. The council also approved Martens moving forward with obtaining updated information from First Responders for new Regional ID Cards. The New Richland Emergency Operations plan is in the process of being revised and updated. The report was approved.
The Fire Department report consisted of a purchase request for new turnout gear, as the department’s current gear is over ten years old and no longer meets OSHA requirements. The purchase was approved at a total cost of $20,853, to be paid with money from the reserve budget and donated funds.
Chris Schlaak presented the ambulance report, stating that the ambulance had 20 runs in April and has had three so far in May, bringing the total runs for 2019 so far to 93. Two new members are completing their classes this month and are expected to become full members of the ambulance in June. “File of life” will be distributed soon, which allows individuals to write their medical/health history and place it on their refrigerator in case of an ambulance call where the individual is unable to answer questions about his or her medical history.
Issues with the new ambulance rig continue to plague the department, and it was recently discovered that equipment in the rig was running 23.5 amps through a 20-amp service, which was the cause of some of the problems. The rig was returned to the department on schedule Monday after repairs.
“Hopefully we’ve got it taken care of,” said Schlaak.
Equipment and supplies for the ambulance were ordered at a total cost of $839.15. It was noted that the local ambulance crew received a Life Saver award during a May 5 meeting. Mark Griffith of South Central Emergency Medical Service presented the award to Sarah Sundve, Sara Vulcan, Sam Morgan, Bridget Retallick and Chad Neitzel for their saving of a life in November of 2018.
“[The award] is very significant,” said Schlaak. “It’s usually given for bringing somebody back [to life].”
The ambulance crew plans to hold a coloring contest for EMS Week this year, and shirts for the crew have been ordered using funds received from Allina for volunteer hours worked by Schlaak. Recently Schlaak and ambulance member Monica Schutrop assisted Girl Scouts, teaching basic first aid for the girls to receive badges. The Girl Scouts will be returning for further education from the ambulance members on CPR in the near future. The report was approved.
A request from Brad Field to look into the repair of a trash pump engine was discussed, and the council approved up to $3,000 for the repair if it is possible. The council also agreed to not be involved in the project by the Commercial Club and Lions Club to replace the “Welcome to New Richland” signs at town entrances. The meeting adjourned at 7:39 p.m.