The city has approved a request by Huron Police Chief Kevin Van Diepen to promote a patrolman to the rank of sergeant.
Van Diepen says the new sergeant would fill the vacancy left due to the illness of Sgt, Dan Schlader.
The earliest Schlader would be able to return to work would be Oct. of this year.
Also, Van Diepen says Capt. Bechtold is in need of surgery to his shoulder. This will require 12 weeks of recovery time, creating another supervisory shortage on a patrol shift.
The cost to promote a patrol officer to sergeant would be between $3000.00 and $7,000.00 annually, depending on which applicant is selected for the position. Covering the manpower shortage by paying other supervisors overtime, would exceed the cost of promoting an officer.
Van Diepen says asking a newly promoted sergeant to return to their patrolman position upon the return of Sgt. Schlader wouldn’t be fair. He says through attrition the department would be able to absorb the new sergeant into the next available position.
In other business, approved declaring 2018 Ford Explorer as surplus and transferring the title to American Family Insurance.
The vehicle, a police interceptor, was involved in a total loss accident on February 17.