Search begins for Leyland’s replacement

    With Jo Leyland’s plans to retire as Imperial City Administrator/Clerk/Treasurer early next year, the city council will begin its search soon for a replacement.
    A motion passed Monday to begin advertising the position right away.
    In other business, the council approved an early bonus payment to a police officer and purchased a new loader for the street department.
    Leyland has been with the city 42 years.
    Much of Monday’s discussion centered on whether her job would be separated out, leaving open the possibility of two or three persons to be hired in her place.
    City Attorney Josh Wendell said the council has authority to change the duties and how they are assigned to employees, as well as hiring additional people or not.
    Council member Doug Gaswick suggested they start advertising and see what applicants and their skills come in.
    Leyland said communities across the state and their number of employees filling those jobs varies. She said some combine the administrator position with the Community Development Director.
    It’s important to have someone with some financial background for the treasurer responsibilities, she said.
    Since Leyland took over the position, she has been responsible for all three positions.
    “It’s what you guys want to do,” she told the council.
    Mayor-elect and council member Craig Loeffler said he’d like to see the position filled locally if possible, noting the benefits of someone who already knows the community.
    The advertising will begin locally as well as the statewide Municipal Review publication and possibly other hiring sites.
    With two new council members, Nick Colton and Jan Elliott, to be seated in December, they will be involved in the hiring process.
Police bonus
    Jose Ruiz, as a new Imperial police officer who started work  Aug. 15, is eligible for a $10,000 hiring bonus after an ordinance was approved in March by the council.
    Per that ordinance, he has already received $5,000 with the second half to come after he’s worked six months, which is Feb. 15, 2023.
    Ruiz is requesting the second half earlier, said Police Chief Ryan Wisnieski in a report to the council Monday.
    City Attorney Wendell told council members the city has no obligation to pay the $5,000 early, but was asked to put together an agreement to do so for their consideration.
    On a 4-0 vote, the council approved the early $5,000 bonus payment.
    According to the agreement, if Ruiz’s employment with the city ends before Feb. 15, he will be required to pay the $5,000 back in full.
    Wisnieski said the department has been happy with Ruiz’s addition, which put them back at a full force of four officers, which includes Wisnieski.
    In a related matter, the council also voted 4-0 to pay $2,040.40 to the city of Kimball to buy out Ruiz’s contract with that community, where he worked as a police officer before Imperial.
    Leyland said she does not remember a call from Kimball discussing this buyout prior to Ruiz’s hiring in Imperial, and neither did any of the council or city attorney.
    The only recollection Leyland said she had was some discussion of a potential buyout before Ruiz was hired. No council vote was taken to do that.
    Leyland said the call she received earlier Monday before the meeting indicated it was Kimball officials’ understanding the city agreed to the $2,040.40 buyout.
    The council chose the low bid from Murphy Tractor of North Platte for a new John Deere 544P wheel loader for the street department for $151,000. That includes a $75,000 trade-in allowance for the 15-year-old unit.
    Also bidding was NMC Cat of North Platte for $167,200, allowing a $60,000 trade-in.
    A wage ordinance was approved adding Lili Marquez as a part-time office assistant at $12.50 per hour. The ordinance also included the 2022-23 salary for Bldg. Inspector/Zoning Office Nick Schultz, which didn’t get transferred to the last wage ordinance.
    A bill from the League of Municipalities Risk Management of $4,327.02 was also paid, which represents 15% of the legal fees the city incurred in the lawsuit filed by Markee Ag Services. That case never went to court.