Dell Prairie changes mind about hiring police officer
By Anna Krejci, Dells Events
The Dell Prairie Town Board took back a decision to hire a police officer at a meeting Thursday.
Town Chairman Darrell Schulz made a motion to rescind the board’s earlier action pertaining to hiring a police officer, saying the decision was based on a tight budget and having no documented plans.
In September, the board had voted unanimously, Supervisors Glenn Stanford and Dan Mitchell included, to hire Dell Prairie resident Ray Karas III to enforce the town’s ordinances if a position was created and financing the position could be settled.
“We’re no where near ready to hire somebody today,” Mitchell said earlier in the special meeting.
Schulz said he didn’t want to sacrifice highway spending for the position of a law enforcement officer.
Mitchell proposed forming a citizen committee to explore options for creating a constable or police officer position for the town, and the board approved his motion. The board has yet to decide whether it would strive to create a constable or police officer position. For awhile the town referred to hiring a chief of police for the town, as well. At a regular meeting in October — after the board committed to hiring Karas III — the board heard a presentation from Brian Landers, who has made a business out of advising and teaching law enforcement courses, on its options for hiring someone to enforce ordinances.
At Thursday’s meeting, Karas III criticized how the board handled the matter and was just now wanting to form a committee to research its options.
“I think all that information should’ve been discussed months ago, three months ago, before everybody asked me to do it,” Karas III said.
At the end of the meeting, Karas III handed in a document of the costs he incurred by starting a certification course in Madison that would have qualified him for enforcing the town’s ordinances.
Karas III and town board clerk Joni Gehrke wouldn’t say how much in reimbursement he was requesting from the board.
In other business, the board approved asking voters for permission to raise the town tax levy by 5 percent as opposed to the routinely permitted 3 percent increase in tax levy. Residents will be asked to vote on the levy increase at a special meeting Nov. 17.