City hires Moose Lake administrator

The city of Cloquet will soon have a new leader at the top, and it’s someone who already knows a lot about the area and the unique challenges and advantages of living in Carlton County.

Cloquet city councilors unanimously approved the hire of Tim Peterson as the new city administrator at Tuesday’s regular meeting. Peterson, the city administrator in Moose Lake and previously deputy clerk in Proctor, has been through floods, massive snowstorms and meetings with the state legislature regarding local option sales tax proposals — all things relevant to Cloquet.

In his interview last month, Peterson displayed his familiarity with other issues facing Cloquet as well, things he’s been part of as city administrator in Moose Lake, such as animal control.

Interim city administrator and human resources director James Barclay told the council that Peterson had accepted and signed the city’s tentative offer of employment, subject to the council’s approval.

Barclay has been the interim city administrator since September, when Aaron Reeves left after just under two tumultuous years with the city.

Councilors agreed that the city should wait to begin the hiring process for a new police chief, a position now held by interim chief Derek Randall, until Peterson starts work sometime before Jan. 13.

Randall is the last person out of three administrative positions in the department to be actively working since former chief Jeff Palmer went on leave in April and resigned in August, and fellow commander Carey Ferrell went on extended voluntary leave in September. In order to assist Randall with running the department, councilors also appointed Sgt. Adam Reed as interim commander. Reed has been with the Cloquet police department since 2004 and has worked as a detective, school resource officer

and in various training positions.

Randall said Reed will serve in a hybrid of the patrol and investigative commander positions.

“While almost all officers and supervisors have stepped up, it’s difficult to work with a sergeant on a rotating shift or whose scheduled for two to four days, then another sergeant comes in and it’s difficult for them to pick up,” Randall said. The 2014 police department study highlighted how vital command staff is for leadership and support of the department, as well as many behind-the-scenes jobs that most people don’t think of when come to policing.

When Ward 5 Councilor Steve Langley questioned what the most recent study said about the command structure at the police department, Barclay told him it recommended sticking with a chief and two commanders.

The police department is short six officers from its approved staffing levels after a recent hire.

Small levy increase

Cloquet City Councilors unanimously approved the final 2020 budget, a five-year capital improvement plan for 2020-24 and the property tax levy for 2019, payable in 2020.

Interim City Administrator James Barclay said the council and city staff have been working on the budget for months, so it contains few surprises since the preliminary levy and budget were passed in September.

Changes since September included the following:

• $40,000 savings in health insurance actual versus estimated, not including the Teamsters (police) union;

• $10,000 savings by going from a budgeted two K-9 dogs in the police department to one after the retirement and subsequent adoption of K-9 Raja in November;

• $75,000 increase for the added employer share of anticipated health premiums for disabled retirees;

• $10,000 increase for building maintenance at the new city hall building.

The biggest ticket item in the five-year capital improvement plan was $10.5 million for a public works building in 2021.

The levy was set at a 1.72 percent increase, or $3,043,000.

Details of the city revenues and spending can be found in the Dec. 3 council meeting packet on the city website at http://www.cloquetmn.gov.

City finance director Nancy Klassen said some residents might see their city taxes decrease because the city’s total market value increased by 3.2 percent this year. Anyone whose property did not increase in value could see a

decrease.

Other taxing entities are going through similar processes now. The Cloquet School District approved a minimal tax levy increase for next year, under half a percent, at its Nov. 25 meeting.

The Cloquet Area Fire District will hold a public hearing on its proposed budget and tax levy at 7 p.m. Dec. 12 at the Scanlon City Council Chambers.

The Carlton County Board of Commissioners held its public Truth-in-Taxation hearing Tuesday, but won’t vote on the levy and budget until Dec. 23.