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Marion mayor and council pause hiring in Street/Parks department, assign staff to run operations
Summary
Mayor Chris Goke asked the council to evaluate whether to hire a third full‑time Street/Parks worker; council members agreed to delay filling the vacancy for one month and directed staff Melissa Stuhr and Elijah Smith to jointly run the department in the interim.
Mayor Chris Goke proposed that the Marion Common Council delay hiring a third full‑time employee in the Street/Parks Department and take one month to evaluate the department’s needs.
Goke, who opened the Jan. 20 special meeting, said the department had operated with two workers for many years before Elijah Smith was hired four years ago and that the city has supplemented with part‑time help for mowing and plowing. “We posted for one position, interviewed candidates and made hiring decisions based upon those interviews,” Goke said when asked about a July 2024 hire.
During the meeting, staff member Bill Adams asked why a general laborer position was listed as hired in July 2024 while the only ad he had seen was for a Street Superintendent/Park Director. “Only Hoffman can answer that question,” Goke said, noting personnel matters are handled at the Personnel Committee level and not discussed in open session.
Council member Dave Mattes urged caution about operating the department with only two full‑time people. Mattes said it has been hard to find qualified, dependable part‑time help and that running the department with two staffers is difficult even when they are experienced.
Council discussed short‑term, lower‑cost work the department will pursue while the staffing review proceeds: Smith will have Greg Dey install furnaces for the Police Department and the library because both jobs are under $5,000, and the department will rent Donny Kohel’s brush hog/backhoe for work on the walking trail and ditches. The council also directed Rogers to coordinate with IT for separate computer logins for Smith and Stuhr and to resolve email and phone issues.
After discussion the council decided to wait one month before deciding whether to advertise or hire a third full‑time employee; the item will not appear on February agendas. In the meantime, Mayor Goke instructed Stuhr and Smith to work together to run the Street/Parks Department.
The council approved the meeting agenda at the start of the session and agreed to deviate from the order of the agenda if necessary. Later in the meeting the council moved into closed session under statute 19.85(1)(c) to consider employment, promotion, compensation or performance evaluation data for Street/Parks employees; the motion (Westemeier/Larson) carried and the council returned to open session at 6:56 p.m. The meeting adjourned at 6:57 p.m.
The meeting record does not disclose personnel details discussed in closed session; the council stated such items remain at the Personnel Committee level and are not released in open session.
