Photo by Kirsten Zoellner
The October 12 Peterson Council saw new Mayor Dave Colbenson bring up several agenda additions. Colbenson had served as councilor and mayor pro tem until September 7. At that meeting, Mayor Tim Hallum resigned and accepted the new Public Works Director position. Colbenson will serve the city as mayor until the end of the year.
“I hate to bring this up, but with good conscience, I have to,” he said. “We had a near miss with the hiring. There was a conflict of interest. I think it was an innocent one, but it’s good to bring up and to have a guideline.”
Colbenson was one of four candidates to have filed for the Public Works Director position. After the hiring committee of Councilors Chris Stenzel and Gail Boyum, along with City Clerk Chris Grindland, notified candidates the committee was going to recommend Hallum for the position, Colbenson indicated he’d called Grindland to find out how the transition would happen. At that point, he learned that Stenzel was on the ballot for mayor, as was Hallum.
“That’s a conflict of interest, right?” he asked. Colbenson said he then contacted City Attorney Greg Schieber. Colbenson suggested that by selecting Hallum for the position, Stenzel could have been giving himself a leg up in the election since Hallum cannot serve on the council as a city employee and would be ineligible for the mayoral seat.
Current Public Works Director Rick Lee notified the city of his retirement in July, the deadline for candidacy was August 15, and interviews for the Public Works position were in September. Colbenson did not meet the deadline to put his name on the ballot but is running for mayor as a write-in candidate. Councilors Chris Stenzel will be the only eligible candidate on the ballot. Councilor Tracy Seelbinder is also running as a write-in candidate.
“These are little things that could get the city in trouble. You need to make sure you’re careful with what you do so you won’t get backed into a corner,” said Colbenson. “I’m sure it was a misunderstanding, but if we get sloppy in our business it could make trouble.”
There was little dialogue between the council following Colbenson’s comments. Boyum indicated that at the time of Public Works interviews, who was on the ballot was unknown.
Colbenson also brought up a suggestion for employee review of Hallum. Hallum accepted the position on September 7 and started on October 3. “I would like to know if it’s going to be a suitable transition,” he said. “It’s good to have these employee reviews. I want to make sure that Tim is comfortable and that Rick is comfortable letting go.”
Colbenson suggested November 9 as the date. City staff will determine who should conduct the review. Lee did note that Hallum is working out well and “learning the ropes.” Current work includes familiarizing Hallum with the sewer plant and locating utilities in the city to create a digital map and documentation.
Another concern for Colbenson, expressed at the meeting, was the publication of vehicle violations and fines on the city website, including photos. “I feel, during our meetings, we try to be discreet and not embarrass anyone. If they have to be published, it should be just the street address and fine,” he said. “It shouldn’t be on there. It’s sort of tar and feathering a person.”
The council agreed and approved taking them down and practicing more discretion on publishing fines. Boyum noted that the portal they are on might have inadvertently put them on the website. The city utilizes Google Drive and has a link to its drive on the city website to share agendas, minutes, and ordinances.
In other news, the city is moving forward with its barefoot trail. A Park and Recreation Board report to the council provided details on plans and funding for the project.
Boyum indicated that Grindland is taking the lead on the project as he is the most knowledgeable. According to the report, his family enjoyed similar barefoot paths while stationed in Germany. A barefoot path is a system for walking or playing, made to be enjoyed in bare feet or thin shoes.
The path has no cost to the city. The Park and Rec Board has secured funding for Phase 1 through a $10,000 Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation grant. Phase 2 will be funded by an $10,332 Arlin Flack Foundation grant. Additionally, State Housing Initiatives Partnership program funding through Fillmore County, for $9,000, will be used for path additions. Several groups gave funds to get the project going, reimbursed through grants. The city also received material donations.
Four 40-foot sections are defined. Working with Outer Edge, a landscaping company out of Houston, Minn., the first sections are five-feet, but the next may be up to 10-feet wide to encourage walking it with another. “They’re putting in interesting items. You can get on at any section and do one or all,” said Boyum. “It should be fun for kids and adults.”
The next regularly scheduled meeting is Wednesday, November 2, at 6 p.m. at city hall. The public is encouraged to attend.
Leave a Reply