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Council swears in new officer, approves hire and siren relocation; $155,000 transfer OK'd
Summary
Chief Quon administered the oath to Officer Sammy Holmes and the council approved a conditional hire for Sandra M Doza. Council approved relocating a proposed civil defense siren to city-owned property west of the water plant and authorized a $155,000 intra-budget transfer to cover equipment and hiring costs.
Pelican Rapids — The City Council on Oct. 29 swore in a new police officer, approved a conditional hire, and approved a recommended relocation and funding plan for civil-defense siren work.
Chief Quon administered the oath to newly hired Officer Sammy Holmes. Holmes addressed the council briefly, saying, “I promise you I would do the best that I can to help out the city,” and the council welcomed him.
The council then approved a conditional offer for Sandra M Doza, with hiring contingent on background checks and completion of required steps. Chief Quon said he expects new hires to be on staff by early to mid-December if background clearances proceed on schedule.
Chief Quon reviewed two Otter Tail County mitigation grants that the city received to support siren work and discussed site options. Staff recommended placing a second, battery-backed siren on a city-owned parcel north of the turkey plant and west of the water-treatment plant to better serve the mobile-home park and nearby high-risk populations; the council approved the recommendation by voice vote. The presenter estimated the cost of installing an additional siren at roughly $8,000–$9,000 (as reported in the meeting), and noted grant reimbursement rules require the project to be completed within roughly six months of signing the agreement.
Chief Quon also requested a transfer of $155,000 between police budget lines to cover equipment and hiring-related costs; the council approved the transfer by voice vote.
What happens next: staff will finalize grant paperwork with the county, confirm the installation schedule that meets grant timelines, and proceed with equipment purchases and onboarding for new officers.
