EM village board opts to compensate former police chief

By Cara L. Dempski

ELK MOUND — The Elk Mound village board has decided to compensate the former police chief.

President Steven Abraham informed the full board village attorney Jason Brasch of Bakke Norman told him withholding payment in lieu of receipt of items, passwords and the like was not an appropriate course of action.

The question of former Police Chief Travis Hakes being compensated for time cards turned in for hours completed prior to his departure was raised at a May 17 joint meeting of the employee relations and public safety committees. Several members of the combined committees wondered if pay could be withheld until Hakes returned all equipment owned by the village and all passwords, security codes, and lock combinations were provided.

Hakes was expected to keep a detailed, written log of his work for the department, which did not match the time sheets he provided. He also was asking for payment for three personal days, when village records indicated he had only one personal day remaining.

The board agreed to compensate Hakes, but noted the money would be sent with a letter explaining why he was paid for only one personal day instead of the three requested.

The board also learned that the two emailed letters of resignation provided to the village through former chief Hakes were acceptable as notice of resignation, per Brasch.

Corey Dechow sent an email to Hakes April 19 indicating his immediate resignation, while Kory Evans provided a similar emailed message to Hakes May 19. Hakes forwarded both letters to members of the employee relations committee.

That left the assembled members to discuss how to deal with the remaining officer, Jesse Wnek.

Village clerk Pat Hahn informed the board Wnek had billed the village for trainings attended in April 2017, but has yet to work any hours this year. Trustee Greg Kipp wondered if it was feasible to ask Wnek for his resignation in favor of allowing a new police chief to determine if he or she should rehire Wnek.

Abraham said he preferred to contact Wnek to ask him about his intentions regarding his employment with Elk Mound; the village president noted the remaining officer had previously indicated a desire to stay with the department.

The board agreed to send the final part-time officer for the Elk Mound Police Department a letter asking him to clarify his intent.

The final police matter before the board was a letter of understanding from local resident and former Dunn County Sheriff’s Office member Mike Tietz. The employee relations and public safety committees were given copies of the letter Tietz drafted and one with minor alterations made by Brasch.

The committees were instructed to read the letters prior to their next committee meeting, where they would decide whether to recommend employing Tietz as the village’s interim police chief.

In other business, the board:

• Approved building permits for Julie Conlin at 206 North Holly Avenue (fence), Paul Carpenter of 212 South Holly Avenue (remodel dining/living area), Paul Silbernick at 109/111 Princeton Drive (reshingle residence), Colleen Barber at 111 North Holly Avenue (erect shed) and Tim Riley of 104 Taylor (demolition and rebuild interior).

• Discussed action for police equipment identification, collection, inventory and access.

• Heard a report from Abraham regarding a conversation with high school principal Paul Weber related to public use of the swimming pool and weight room, and traffic safety and student parking passes.

• Learned Abraham approached Colfax schools regarding students wishing to be employed at the Elk Mound pool this summer.

• Learned the County’s traffic study on South Holly Avenue from interstate 94 to the village limits indicated the vast majority of drivers are 100% compliant with the existing traffic controls. The county will change the speed signs on County Highway H as it approaches the Village Park from the south due to one driver going over that section of road at approximately 83 miles per hour.

• Approved village resident Annette Knutson to pursue a pollinator plot at the Elk Mound Village Park.