Staff writer
Peabody City Treasurer Krishyn Caldwell was relieved of her position with the city Tuesday morning.
Peabody City Council went into executive session for the purpose of discussing personnel at the end of Monday night’s city council meeting.
After returning to open session, the council voted to terminate Caldwell.
“I was instructed by the council to inform Mrs. Caldwell at 8 a.m. Tuesday that her services would no longer be required, effective immediately,” Mayor Larry Larsen said. “I cannot comment on the issue any more than that.”
Caldwell has worked for the city for about a year. She began as part-time help in the front office in March 2014 according to City Clerk Stephanie Lago and moved into the full-time position in May.
In other business:
- USD 398 Superintendent Ron Traxson presented the council with information on the upcoming mail-in ballot vote to increase the local option budget —LOB — to raise money for the school district. Each district is allowed to raise the local option budget by up to 30% of its general fund. This year districts will be allowed to go before the voters and request permission to raise the LOB authority to 33%. USD 398 will retire its bond and interest payments on the high school next year at a potential savings of 15 mills. Rather than keep the mill levy high, the board of education would prefer to use the LOB to help fund the budget. Traxson explained the mail-in ballot and his plans for educating the community on the process before it takes place the end of April.
- Council members approved a $.50 per hour pay increase for part-time employees and a $.75 per hour pay increase for full-time employees effective immediately. Money was budgeted to put the raises into effect during the 2015 calendar year.
- Peabody-Burns Recreation Commission Chairman Beth Peter presented the council with two checks totaling $20,000 for the PBRC’s contribution to the repair of the swimming pool liner. She also told the council that bids for rebuilding the dugouts at the baseball diamond had come in much higher than anticipated, causing the project to be put on hold for another year.
- The council went into executive session with Peabody Police Chief Bruce Burke for 10 minutes to discuss personnel and took no action on return to open meeting.
- Interim Public Works Director Ronnie Harms told council members that state statutes have changed about municipal street signs. Signs have been approved in the past with four-inch letters which is what Peabody street signs have. They now will be required to use six-inch letters. Cities that choose not to switch to the larger letters must lower their speed limits to 25 mph on all city streets, which would require replacement of all speed limit signs. The council took no action, but asked Harms to bring back cost estimates for switching either street signs or speed limit signs. There is no state or federal money to help defray costs.
- Harms said Cunningham Tank Co. had contacted him about cleaning the inside of the water tower to keep the maintenance schedule intact. The cost will be $2,500. The council took no action.