City Council hears individual cases; financing for ambulance facility approved

by Beth Kraft

A packed business agenda for the Mondovi City Council at its second regular meeting of the month on Tuesday, June 23, was accompanied by separate requests from two individuals who pleaded their cases before city leaders. The requests concerned the City of Mondovi’s ordinance regarding sex offender residency restrictions and an individual bar operator license that was denied.

Chris Norris appealed to the Council asking permission to move into the trailer park near the Mondovi Police Department. Norris is a registered sex offender following a 2013 incident with a 16-year-old girl.

Norris explained to the Council that he currently works on an area farm and lives in a camper there, but he hoped to move into the trailer park to obtain better living accommodations for him and his girlfriend, who is expecting a baby.

The location where Norris wishes to move is close to a church, park and bus stop. Mondovi’s sex offender residency restrictions prevent all registered sex offenders from living within 500 feet of such areas where children congregate since the ordinance was approved in 2012. However, the ordinance also includes a provision for appeals, which states that the Council can waive the restrictions on a case-by-case basis.

Mondovi Police Chief Scott Smith said most sex offenders opt to find someplace else to live if the place they have their sights set on is too close to a school, park or church.

“This is the first person we’ve had who has really come forward and asked [for permission],” said Smith, noting he didn’t have a “strong opinion one way or another” as to whether or not Norris’ appeal should be approved.

The Council voted unanimously to allow Norris to move into the trailer park, contingent upon his compliance with his parole officer and on following all other laws of the City of Mondovi.

“I hope you hold yourself to a high standard,” Mondovi Mayor Treig Pronschinske said to Norris, who thanked city leaders for the opportunity.

The Council also approved an additional list of annual licenses, but one individual appealed to the Council because his name was not on it.

Steven Mayer, who bartends at the White Pig, had applied for an operator license, but his application was not approved by Chief Smith, who views all such applications, because Mayer’s record contains several charges involving drugs and alcohol.

“When you serve alcohol, we need you to be responsible,” commented councilman Dan Johnson, pointing to Mayer’s “pattern” of illegal behavior.

“My paper trail is not who I am anymore,” Mayer insisted, adding that he ran into some trouble recently and is trying to “dig myself out” and become a better citizen.

Johnson said he didn’t feel comfortable overriding Smith’s opinion, and other members of the Council agreed. The Council voted unanimously to deny Mayer’s appeal, but members encouraged him to display a positive pattern of behavior and re-apply at a later date.

City deputy clerk Dawn Moy pointed out that Mayer can still bartend, he just needs to have another employee with an operator license working with him.

Also that night, a discussion with Chief Smith and MPD Sergeant Tim Hollister resulted in the Council’s approval of over $36,000 for the MPD to purchase a new squad vehicle and new equipment.

The city typically budgets to replace an MPD squad vehicle every two years. Smith asked to swap out the department’s 2013 Ford F-150 for a 2016 Ford Police Interceptor Utility, comparable to a Ford Explorer. The department has an older squad car, a 2011 Dodge Charger, but Smith explained the F-150 has proven impractical for police work because the pickup is difficult to turn around quickly and any equipment stored in the truck bed gets wet and dirty.

The pickup will be placed in an online auction in hopes of receiving more money for it than trade-in. The new SUV will be purchased from Northtown Ford in Menomonie, which quoted the MPD a trade-in price of $10,000 for the F-150. 

City administrator Dan Lauersdorf said the city has had good luck in the past with getting good prices for vehicles in an online auction.

The cost of the police SUV itself was quoted at just under $28,000. Hollister also explained to the Council the need for some new equipment, calling the nearly $9,000 in add-ons the “essentials... for officer safety reasons.”

Equipment purchases approved by the Council are set to include an in-car video camera, stop sticks, double gun lock, cages to protect officers and equipment from individuals being transported, window barrier guards and flashing taillights.

Hollister pointed out that the Mondovi squads are currently “very lacking in equipment” with only a police radio, radar gun and light bar.

Lauersdorf expressed concern about the costs, noting that the cost to purchase the new squad vehicle, purchase the requested equipment and install it is about $6,000 over what was budgeted. He noted the city may have to wait to settle accrued MPD comp time until the end of the year.

City leaders agreed it should be okay to wait, especially since they have not yet determined how to handle the comp time.

The Council also approved a resolution that commits the City of Mondovi to paying a fair share of the costs, per capita, to help the Mondovi Ambulance Commission finance a new building.

The cost of a stand-alone structure to house the ambulances and equipment and provide spaces for training facilities, offices and living quarters for EMTs on call is expected to run about $250,000.

Lauersdorf said the Commission is currently interested in a property on Water Street owned by Steve Stamm or the former Polzers auto shop on Riverside Avenue.

The Ambulance Commission was scheduled to decide the term of the assessment last week. The city’s costs for a 10 year note would be just under $14,000 per year. If a 15 or 20 year term is chosen, the city would pay about $10,000 or about $8,700 per year, respectively.

There are a total of eight municipalities served by the Mondovi Ambulance Commission that will bear their share of the total cost based on population.

A fixed rate was obtained through United Bank to finance the project.

The city’s share of the funds would come from taxes, Lauersdorf said, reminding the Council that debt service can be added onto the local tax roll without affecting the city’s levy limit.

In other business that night, the Council approved the following:

• Compliance Maintenance annual report, as presented by Randy Gruber

• accept resignation letter from police officer Bonnie Bertrang