MARSHFIELD, WI (WSAU) — The city of Marshfield is still without a Mayor and a Chief of Police, but City Administrator Steve Barg isn’t in panic mode just yet.
“Cheif Rick Gramza left on an early termination agreement before there were some hearings regarding some concerns about his employment. The mayor was removed by a vote of the council a couple of weeks later,” said Gramza, summing up the events that led to both positions being vacated. “Those things are still issues we are continuing to work through.”
In addition to what to do about those vacancies, there are also complaints against two members of the city’s Fire and Police Commission and a request for an investigation into several members of the City Council. “We’re still, we’re still rocky here in terms of getting through these issues and getting to the end of the tunnel.”
It still remains unclear what will happen with the Mayor’s position in the city. Some on the council have suggested moving to a different form of city government that would more closely resemble a village board with an Administrator at the top, while others have suggested holding a special election as soon as July to fill the position. Alders on the council are scheduled to hear a presentation from Barg regarding their options during Tuesday’s regular council meeting.
No action is recommended on that item.
As far as the search for a new Chief of Police, Barg says there’s still no timeline for when a decision could be made. Pat Zeps continues to serve as the acting Chief for the time being and has Barg’s full support because of his longevity with the Marshfield Police Department.
Additionally, it remains unclear if the Fire and Police Commission will vote to utilize a search firm for the position or place an emphasis on internal candidates such as Zeps.
Barg adds that he knows the headlines coming out of the city in recent weeks have been less than flattering but he wants residents to know he remains committed to keeping the city on its current course, and that the current upheavel has nothing to do with the city changing course. “We’ve been on a pretty good path as we try to get some orderly growth in the community. [So] the reality is this doesn’t signify anything big.
“Bob McManus was Mayor for three years and he did some really good things. He was a strong leader and was involved in several acomplishments that occured here in the city during that time. That’s how many people know him,” he added.
Other topics Barg discussed with WSAU’s Mike Leischner include:
Start of video- Assessment of the current situation regarding the Mayor and Police Chief positions
8:30- Preparations to open the reworked outdoor aquatic center this summer
13:50- Other projects to look forward to this summer including Mike’s brilliant idea for a new brewery
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