September 4, 2019
City council sets public meeting for policing issue
BY DIANE NEWBERRY
Discussion of the future of Garrison’s policing at the Tuesday city council meeting opened with a quick summary of an Aug. 28 meeting of a police committee. The circumstances of that meeting, which was held at noon at Cenex, were quickly called into question by Alderman David Reinarts.
“The meeting that you had here – that was bad,” Reinarts said. “That was a bad deal to give fifteen minutes notice when everybody’s gone or at work. That was bad to give fifteen minutes notice for something as important as this … it should have waited one more day.”
Alderman Paul Schlichting defended the decision, saying that the committee gave 30 minutes notice, not fifteen, and it was important to move forward with the issue.
Schlichting went on to explain that he and Mayor Stu Merry had recently visited Berthold to discuss their budget for a police force in a city of 900. Alderman Marcus Matthews also visited Kenmare for research purposes.
The police committee determined that to move forward, a hiring committee to find a police chief should be established consisting of Merry, the city attorney, police committee members and city leaders.
The council moved to set up a special meeting of the entire body to discuss what a Garrison police force will look like. City attorney Jim Wilson suggested that it was important for the entire council to be able to discuss this issue.
“This is something, in my opinion, we don’t move as quickly as possible on,” Wilson said. “We want to get things right. We don’t want to screw things up just to hire someone. I think that would be irresponsible.”
The council set a public meeting, to be held on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 7:00 p.m. in the Garrison Auditorium, to discuss matters relating to the police contract and the future of policing in the city.
The city council also:
“The meeting that you had here – that was bad,” Reinarts said. “That was a bad deal to give fifteen minutes notice when everybody’s gone or at work. That was bad to give fifteen minutes notice for something as important as this … it should have waited one more day.”
Alderman Paul Schlichting defended the decision, saying that the committee gave 30 minutes notice, not fifteen, and it was important to move forward with the issue.
Schlichting went on to explain that he and Mayor Stu Merry had recently visited Berthold to discuss their budget for a police force in a city of 900. Alderman Marcus Matthews also visited Kenmare for research purposes.
The police committee determined that to move forward, a hiring committee to find a police chief should be established consisting of Merry, the city attorney, police committee members and city leaders.
The council moved to set up a special meeting of the entire body to discuss what a Garrison police force will look like. City attorney Jim Wilson suggested that it was important for the entire council to be able to discuss this issue.
“This is something, in my opinion, we don’t move as quickly as possible on,” Wilson said. “We want to get things right. We don’t want to screw things up just to hire someone. I think that would be irresponsible.”
The council set a public meeting, to be held on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 7:00 p.m. in the Garrison Auditorium, to discuss matters relating to the police contract and the future of policing in the city.
The city council also:
