Terms approved for sponsoring police recruit at academy

    Armed with a proposal provided by Police Chief Doug Bergstrom, Holyoke City Council ironed out the details for a contract with a new recruit for the Police Department at the May 15 council meeting.
    Approved to start June 1, the recruit’s police academy training will be sponsored by the department in exchange for a 3-year commitment. Training at the Highlands Ranch Law Enforcement Training Academy will last from July 16-Dec. 6.
    The cost to the City includes $5,800 tuition, $100 uniform, $2,500 lodging, approximately $1,000 ammunition and a salary of $10.20 per hour at 40 hours per week, plus benefits, throughout the recruit’s time at the academy.
    By having the recruit start with the department before attending the academy, Bergstrom said, they will be able to get started on some parts of field training and do some ordinance work. Once the recruit has finished at the academy and is POST certified, they will receive the full police officer salary.
    Each year, a third of the expenses will be forgiven, but if the recruit leaves before the three-year contract is complete, they will be required to pay the remaining expenses back to the City.
    
Summer help hired
    Approved at last Tuesday’s meeting, the City is hiring several individuals for summer work. John Zilla was hired in the parks department at $11.25 per hour, and Vern Adams at the cemetery at $11 per hour. At the time of the meeting, two summer positions — one in electric and one in the street department — were still open. They were approved to be filled at $10.50 per hour.
    Within the recreation department, head baseball coach Kody Timm was approved at $1,750; assistant baseball coaches Hunter Bergstrom and Dylan Miles at $1,250 each; head T-ball/machine-pitch coach Roni Beavers at $750; assistant T-ball coach Sharlene Benson at $500; and assistant machine-pitch coach Jade Goldenstein at $500.
    
Officials, rec director report
    City Superintendent Mark Brown reported that the electric department has been working out at the cemetery as well as at the fairgrounds, getting new electric service for the pavilion set up. The sewer crew has been working on sprinkler systems and the backflow program, as well as helping at the cemetery. The street department continues working on alleys and mowing City properties.
    Brown also noted that an entire semi-full of Jet A fuel was purchased for the airport.
    Bergstrom reported that HPD, including code enforcement, handled or generated 298 calls for service from April 26-May 9. They made three arrests, wrote two citations and four reports, and gave out 41 warnings. Code enforcement handled two animal complaints, six dogs at large and 27 ordinance violations.
    HPD also hosted a child safety seat program May 12. About 125 people stopped in, and 10 car seats were checked. Bergstrom also reported that the department’s new vehicle has arrived.
    City Clerk/Treasurer Kathy Olofson presented two thank-you cards received by the City.
    Recreation director Victoria Timm reviewed the current programs happening in her department, including soccer, golf clinics and summer baseball. She also noted registration is now open for the June 23 Dandelion Daze 5K race.
    
Other business
    In other business at the May 15 meeting, city council:
    —Scheduled a public hearing for a new liquor license application from Los Parra’s for Tuesday, June 19, at 7 p.m.
    — Appointed Jason Redman to serve another three-year term on the board of variance adjustment.
    — Renewed the Medical Air Service Association membership for 30 members at $99 per year, including 26 employees and four council members who will reimburse the City.
    — Approved a travel request for officer Mary Seeley to attend a school resource officer training in Holyoke.
    — Allowed Holyoke Swim Club use of the swimming pool to host the first meet of the Northwest Kansas Swim League on Saturday, June 2.
    — Decided to run an ad in the Johnson Publications home improvement special section in the Holyoke Enterprise.
    — Held a 28-minute executive session for the purpose of determining positions relative to matters that may be subject to negotiations.