HPD moves toward hiring 4th officer
Earlier in the year, Chief Doug Bergstrom was understandably pessimistic about the prospect of hiring a fourth officer for Holyoke Police Department. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, academies are closed, so his only option was to find someone already certified in Peace Officer Standards and Training.
Wyatt Bishop, a Holyoke native and a deputy at Logan County Sheriff’s Office, is both POST certified and interested in the position, and Holyoke City Council gave Bergstrom the go-ahead to proceed with hiring him at the June 2 city council meeting. Council member Brian Akey recused himself from voting as Bishop is his stepson.
The City will have to buy out Bishop’s contract with LCSO, and council members approved spending up to $3,200 to do so. Even with that expense, the cost is still less than it would be to sponsor a new hire that needs to attend police academy. The council also approved a waiver that allows Bishop, who currently lives in Haxtun, one year to relocate to Holyoke as he’s in the process of selling his house.
In January, the city council approved a salary of $42,000 for new officers. Bergstrom requested that Bishop start at a higher salary because of his experience in law enforcement over the past two years. Council members agreed but wanted to make sure a new hire isn’t out-earning officer Mary Winterrowd who has been with HPD for three and half years. Winterrowd’s base salary was set at $43,631.54 in January, and she received an additional $2,080 annual incentive for having a degree in law enforcement. Council members set Bishop’s starting salary at $42,500. He does not have a degree in law enforcement, so there is no additional incentive.
In his other law enforcement roles, Bishop has had a K-9, but Bergstrom said HPD will not be buying the dog.
Planning commission recommends new requirements be set for duplexes
At the June 2 meeting, Holyoke City Council accepted the planning commission's recommendation that the municipal code be amended to set requirements specifically for duplexes. But the issue, it seems, is far from being resolved.
It was brought up to the planning commission by a duplex owner who wishes to subdivide and sell the units separately. Because of the size of the lot, Attorney Al Wall explained, an ordinance is required to do so. Current rules stipulate that each living quarter needs a side yard setback, so that will need to be addressed in the amendment.
Wall was instructed to write up the ordinance for the council’s consideration.
Donations made
Also at last Tuesday’s meeting, Holyoke City Council approved two donations. After reviewing information about Help Holyoke, the council approved a $2,500 donation to the fund, which provides money to local business owners and employees affected by the original COVID-19 mandated business shutdowns (restaurants, bars, salons, gyms and theaters). Mayor Orville Tonsing and council member Gene Bittner cast dissenting votes.
A $2,500 donation was also approved for the Holyoke Volunteer Fire Department’s July 4 fireworks show.
Officials report
City superintendent Mark Brown reported that the Phillips County Assessor’s Office recently discovered that the 700 block of South Walsh Avenue was not dedicated when it should have been back in 1986.
“The City owns it, but it’s never been dedicated as a street right of way,” he said.
Furthermore, the corner where it intersects with Johnson Street still belongs to the Heginbotham Trust, and it’s outside the city limits. He’s working on rectifying those problems so that the street can be officially dedicated.
Brown also reported that the electric department handled a power outage that affected the airport, sewer lagoon and cemetery well May 24. The department worked on underground replacements in the 600 blocks of south Reynolds and Coleman avenues, and the pole between the two avenues on Johnson Street was scheduled to be replaced as well.
The water and sewer department worked on water service at Red’s Liquors and in the 100 block of South Belford Avenue. Street crews mowed City property and patched streets in preparation for sealcoating.
Since the swimming pool has been closed due to COVID-19, Tom Hethcote has been in working on the boilers and piping that the council previously approved.
In regards to the airport, Armstrong Consultants kicked off work on the master plan. Brown is putting together an advisory committee made up of council members and community members to represent the needs of the airport.
Brown also noted that Ron Koberstein was injured while working at the cemetery and will be out for a minimum of six weeks with a broken leg.
Bergstrom reported that HPD, including code enforcement, handled or generated 121 calls for service May 1-27. There were 10 animal complaints and five municipal code violations. He also explained that the number of calls for service was lower because they changed how they record repeated calls.
City clerk/treasurer Kathy Olofson reported that income from this year’s lodging tax is now down about $1,700 compared to the same time period in 2019. She also noted that Scott Szabo will be at the June 16 meeting to review the audit.
Other business
In other business at the June 2 meeting, council members:
— Voted to have an ordinance written to delegate the City’s damage prevention safety program to the State’s Underground Damage Prevention Safety Commission.
— Approved placing an ad in the Holyoke Enterprise home improvement special section.
— Renewed the annual lease agreement with the Holyoke Golf Club board.
— Approved a liquor license renewal for Los Parra’s.
— Approved a purchase request from the street department for a Tommy Gate from Maxey Trailer Sales and Truck Fitting in the amount of $3,519.49.