The reports of the various City of Stanley departments—public works, water, wastewater, fire and police—are in for the last half of November, with fire chief Korey Hagenson stating that the department had ordered a gear drier with the proceeds from the Martino’s fundraiser.

“This is what the guys wanted to buy and we all agreed on it,” Hagenson gave as his rationale for the purchase.

As for Wastewater, Nick Martin reported that the excavation was completed at the belt press site and that the footings and walls had been poured for it as well. Water Operator Don Goettl, meanwhile, reported that the 2021 Water Budget had been worked on in the past two weeks and that Water Well Solutions was working on setting up a date for rehab on Wells 4 and 7, while a new Caustic Soda pump had been ordered for the CTP at a cost of $1345. Also included in the bi9-monthly reports were updates by public works director John Hoel and police chief Lance Weiland.

“We picked up a new/used plow truck,” public works director Hoel starts his council update filed for December 2, additionally saying that “all the pins” in the front plow had been replaced as they were worn out. The end result of replacing plow pins? A sturdier snow removal operation this winter.

Reporting that the plow has been painted along with the wing, sander and inside of the box, along with various new lights, “This truck is now ready to be put in service,” Hoel said in his report. Regarding a street sweeper the council had earlier approved, Hoel said that he and department employee Jake Leukes had traveled to Forest Lake, Minnesota to look it over and that everything was in working order.

“MacQueen Equipment (of St. Paul) will be getting this sweeper from Forest Lake sometime in February and completing a full inspection and repair,” Hoel wrote the council in his report. The sweeper approved for a purchase price of $39,000 with a $6,000 trade-in, is a used 2006 Elgin Pelican SE with 13,726 miles on it and a dual gutter broom and hydraulic main broom suspension with 220-gallon water capacity and A/C, among other accessories. A new Pelican sweeper, by contrast, would be $204,000 with a $5,000 tradein, Hoel had reported earlier to the council when seeking approval for the current purchase. At the time a motion was made by Kent Barby and seconded by Kevin Hendrickson to approve the purchase.

Moving from public works into the police report, Police Chief Lance Weiland reported a staff leave for COVID-exposure reasons.

“We currently have one full-time staff member that is in quarantine due to a closecontact positive test from another individual,” the Chief wrote, reporting that, “The officer will be out until December 19.” Between Chief Weiland and other staff, the nine shifts in need of covering due to the officer’s absence were being taken care of.

Meanwhile, the pecking order of a constitutional federal republic was on full display as well in the police report, as Wieland reported on a recent directive from the White House.

“Due to a recent presidential order, all law enforcement agencies within the country are required to have their use of force policies certified by an independent credentialing body in order to receive any form of grant funding from the federal and state levels in the future,” Weiland wrote the council in his report.

Often used as a carrot and stick approach for other things by Washington, such prerequisites for federal fund dollars often function as a way for the federal government to exert its will where it cannot otherwise intrude in policy terms given a multi-tiered republic of separate and distinct governments. Under such prerequisites, local governments may still refuse or fail to do what an order states, but lose the federal funding opportunity as a result.

Also included in the Chief’s bi-monthly report was the news that Officer Tyler Lewien and K9 Trey had recently completed their annual K9 patrol, narcotics and search certifications in Minnesota, a sure sign to those involved in such activities that it may not be a good idea to come to Stanley.

At the same time, the Stanley Police Department he police department had been able to serve 16 holiday meals the week of Thanksgiving “due to our generous sponsors,” Weiland wrote. Each year the department runs a “Help Handcuff Hunger” campaign, with additional funding at present to served “nearly 20 meals for the week of Christmas,” the Chief wrote.

Closing out his report with a reference to the “unseasonably warm and snow-free weather we have been experiencing,” Chief Weiland made a reminder that wintertime overnight parking restrictions are in effect as of November 15 thru April 1, “no matter the weather.” Chief Weiland stated the department will make exceptions for those who reach out to the department and are having vehicle problems and/or having family friends overnight without adequate parking. Should snow fall be expected overnight, however, the department will request that the resident make arrangements to ensure all vehicles are removed from the street during overnight plow hours. Last but not least, there was a donation made toward body cameras, with no strings being listed.

“I recently learned that we received a $750 donation from the “Kwik Trip Kares” foundation,” the Chief made known, saying that the proceeds would be used to pay for implementation of the department’s body camera initiative, thereby helping ensure a neutral witness in police-public interactions.