(Spirit Lake)– Some Spirit Lake city council members say it’s high time some duties be delegated at city hall to help ease an increasing workload and to meet a recommendation in a State Auditor’s report.
The issue surfaced as the council held its first meeting of 2006 Tuesday evening and it came time for annual appointments, including City Administrator and City Clerk. Pete Hegeman has held the combined positions for years. But some council members, including newly-elected councilman Clyde Ihrke, say Hegeman’s workload is too heavy and that he needs to delegate some duties. He wants the Administrative Committee to review job descriptions of the various workers in the front office of city hall. Ihrke says they could be looking at several options, including appointing a deputy city clerk or separating the positions of City Administrator and City Clerk and appointing someone to serve in a separate capacity as City Clerk.
After further discussion, a motion was made by councilman Jerry Harbst and seconded by Ihrke to table the City Administrator/City Clerk appointment until a recommendation is made by the Administrative Committee. The motion failed on a two-two tie vote with Harbst and Ihrke voting in favor and Jeff Thee and Kevin Bice voting no. Councilman Steve Balm abstained.
After even more discussion, a motion was made to appoint Hegeman City Administrator and City Clerk while the Administrative Committee reviews job descriptions and comes up with a recommendation. That motion passed on a three-to-two vote with Balm, Bice and Thee in favor and Harbst and Ihrke no.
Copyright GCI all rights reserved. Unauthorized publication or broadcast of this material is strictly prohibited.
