The Superior Express -

Monday evening members of the Superior City Council approved beginning the search for a new police chief. A position that most recently had been held by Jill Allgood.

At the Monday meeting, Mayor Chris Peterson appointed Wilber Young as interim police chief.

The police chief position is one of several in which the office holder serves at the mayor’s pleasure. However, the mayor’s appointment must be confirmed by a majority of the council members present and voting.

In what appears to be a related move, the council approved a policy change, making the police chief and utility department superintendent salaried positions. Previously they were salaried positions and received comp time or overtime if asked to work more than 40 hours per week.

In addition to advertising for a police chief, the City of Superior will continue seeking to fill two additional vacant police force positions.

Before voting to seek applicants for the chief’s position, Councilman Levi Gunn asked when the council last considered contracting with the sheriff’s office for law enforcement services. According to Gunn, many communities the size of Superior no longer maintain their own police force. When the question of seeking a new chief came to a vote, Gunn voted no. Council members Rick Disney, Carrie Lemke, Sandra Foote and James Flores voted in favor in favor of seeking applicants.

Mayor Peterson’s appointment of Darrel Brandt to fill the vacant First Ward council position was approved. He is to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Rachel Loucks. While confirmed Monday, he was not sworn in as the city clerk did not attend the meeting.

It was reported B-Green would hired to seed the lawns disturbed by the recent sidewalk improvement project. The previous attempt to seed the lawns was not successful, perhaps because of the drought. The reseeding will be attempted in the fall.

The council approved closing a 2019 Federal Emergency Management Disaster project. As part of that project, a portion of Lost Creek was cleared, ultra violet sanitation lights and a force feed discharge system were installed at the waste water treatment plant and repairs were made to both the flood damaged Lincoln Park and the golf course.

The resignation of Landyn Howell from the wastewater treatment plant crew was accepted.

Permission was granted to Peak Dental to use the Fourth Street Square Park for a tenth anniversary observance on July 10. On that day parking in front of the park will be restricted.

It was reported daily attendance at the municipal swimming pool which opened May 30 is exceeding 100 people per day. Repairs expect to be completed and the wading pool opened in about two weeks. The council approved spending a portion of the ARPA grant to purchase new pumps and controllers for the swimming pool. The equipment will be installed after the pool closes for the season.

It was noted a former park department employee, Dennis Foote, had constructed a number of benches to be used for community functions. They were first used in downtown Superior for the Lady Vestey Festival Parade, The next day they were used for the musical program presented in City Park and they were to be moved to Evergreen Cemetery for the Memorial Day service. However, there was a planning snafu and the benches didn’t make it to the cemetery for the Memorial Day service.