AGENDA
HENDERSON CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING
MONDAY, NOVEMBER14, 2011
TIME 7:30 P.M.


TARGET TIME
7:30 P.M.
I. Call to Order

II. Police Chief Background Check Report-Action on Michael Cherney

III. Action on Background check for Kyle Hoehne

IV. Any Other Police Chief Related Actions

8:15 P.M. V. Adjourn

Any updates?

Minutes will be submitted for approval at tomorrow's regular meeting and I will post them later in the week. From a law enforcement coverage standpoint things will stay as they are and have been the last month and one half at least for awhile. That is: Pat Nienaber-Interim Chief, Eric Karels full time officer (40 hours per week when he is available) and Paul Nelson, Jeff Milette, Amanda Johnson, Brian Widmer and Peter Kisling as part time officers with Sibley County providing on call service when Henderson officers are not available. Chief Nienaber is looking for additional officers to provide more coverage-right now the current staff has not been able to cover available working hours.

These and other approved minutes have been posted on the city government section of this website. KEYC of Mankato did a story last night on the Henderson Police Chief situation as a follow-up to the Henderson Independent story on Wednesday. My guess is the Mankato Free Press will run a little more in depth story over the weekend.

MINUTES, HENDERSON CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2011

Meeting called to order at 7:30 P.M. by Mayor Tim Nytes at the community meeting room. Present were council members Kelly Braun, Randall Tiegs, Paul Menne and Les Mediger. Also in attendance were Barb Conrad, City Attorney Alison Jones, Interim Police Chief Pat Nienaber, Crystal Fries, Brad Fries, Les Trimbo, Dick Collins, Lois Schroeder, Mary Ann Pilling, Troy Koester and Howard and Pat Jostad.

The 14 page summary of the approximate 300 page background check performed by City of Le Sueur Police Chief Bruce Kelly for Michael Cherney who was previously offered the position of Police Chief for the City of Henderson had previously been distributed to the City Council and was under consideration for this special meeting.

Motion Tiegs, seconded Braun to withdraw the job offer to Michael Cherney for the Henderson Police Chief’s position based on the overall conclusions found in the background check performed by Police Chief Bruce Kelly on Michael Cherney. Motion unanimously carried.

Motion Tiegs, seconded Braun to instruct City Administrator Berberich to inform Chief Bruce Kelly to discontinue compilation of data on the background check for Kyle Hoehne and refer the police chief selection and hiring process to the Henderson Personnel Committee and have them come up with recommendation (s) on how to proceed. Motion unanimously carried.

Council Member Tiegs asked current Interim Police Chief Pat Nienaber if hours could be increased by increasing the pool of available officers to provide additional law enforcement coverage in the City of Henderson. Nienaber indicated Henderson is covered approximately 85% of the time now with a patrol officer and that he is working on filling the additional time slots. Currently full-time officer Eric Karels is being provided the opportunity to work 40 hours per week and other available hours are being filled by Paul Nelson, Amanda Johnson, Jeff Milete, Peter Kisling and Brian Widmer (the Sibley County Sheriff's office provides on call hours as needed).

Motion Menne, seconded Braun to adjourn-7:43 P.M.

Respectfully Submitted

Lon Berberich, City Clerk

HMMMMM I have seen the hiring process by city governments and I have yet to see them get it right.... Why did they not move to the second candidate for the position which is what you would normally do after all they already started the process.

Basically the city has dropped the ball on the entire hiring process. Its painfully obvious that several of the candidates looked into the city and their processes or maybe talked to the ousted chief, either way its a black eye to our city.

This hiring process has cost us time, services, comittment, money, and worst of respect. Thats right respect how many people looking for a small city in the area to move to or lean on will consider a city that cannot take on a simple task.

As for the background I called the Minnesota Post Board which regulates police officers and asked them for the legal purpose of a 300 page background. HMMMMMMM another debacle by the city? Let me say this the Board told me it was to determine if the person was free of criminal behavior and a sound mind. Should we not then background our council as well???????

Some serious considerations need to be made to save face in this process, and I would really like to know whats in 300 pages of background that most people do not have in their own closets.
More importantly who would be willing to come here and do a great job after going through all of that results in a city of Henderson "do over" because we cannot get it right the first time.

So my family and business will not suffer I will just say I am one of the four puppets.....

Will the personel committee now consider Bill Wentzlaff's petition or has that been tossed?

Ok I understand i am beating a dead horse here but.... I cannot understand how the city can even pick a guy that has been fired from a job for devious behavior... Leave it to Henderson!!!! That still leaves a question though, how bad was the other candidate if this one was this bad? Or did the city get it wrong again? Chances are its not going to be that bad and like I said I would like to know what they are using for criteria, a speeding ticket 20 years ago or even 2 years ago?
niether of which should disqualify a candidate. I did not see the interview and have spoken to some who have and they are with me on moving to the next candidate as he should have been the top pick to begin with in their minds... HMMMM the city of henderson failed again to research something... WOW BIG SURPRISE!!!!

Bottom Line WE NEED CHANGE and I for one will step up and do my part as well as continiueing to investigate other debacles by the city.

1 of 4

Spoke with one of the officers the other night caught them dozing off while parked in a hiding spot... Its what happenends when you work to much!!!!

They stated the money was good and that was their interest in working here, HMMMMMMMMMMMM. I think we need to have a conclusion to this debacle and get a chief that is vested in the community and not the fruits of their labor.......

Barney Winterfelt had a hiding spot where he napped too.

From what I hear the clown club intends to continue to use Nienaber as the interim chief indefinitely and not hire a permanent chief. I would think at some point people would get pissed enough to get their point across.