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Written by: Matt Wilson - Breese Journal Reporter

    During the police portion of the Carlyle City Council meeting on Monday, Feb. 9, the council approved the purchase of a 2025 Ford Explorer AWD Police Interceptor with equipment.
    Police Chief Jason Herzing said they would like to go back to the SUVs because the trucks are harder to turn around in town.
    The total for the SUV and the equipment is $62,332.72.
    The council approved an application period for the hiring of a new patrolman. Herzing said that at the police committee meeting last week they discussed a lateral program for hiring a new patrolman. If someone has full-time police experience of at least two years up to eight years, they could be brought in at even pay. For seniority, they will still be at the bottom. Currently, if someone is hired as a patrolman they receive a wage at 80% of a patrolman and increase to full pay over two years.
    The council also approved an additional sergeant position. Herzing said the department needs to have a sergeant on duty at night. Most of the officers working nights are the new officers and he would like to add a sergeant at night to oversee the officers who are working. There also would be some administrative duties done to relieve some of the duties from the sergeant working during the day. He has canvassed the department and has someone that is interested.
    During the city administrator report, Brad Myers said that on Friday, Feb. 6, the snow was melting off of the roof and it was leaking into the city hall. Several employees went up and shoveled it off noting they will need to do an emergency fix. He said TIF money will be used for the repairs.
    During the corporate/finance portion of the meeting, the council approved a bid for a farm lease.
    It was for two parcels of land the city leases out to be farmed. One parcel is off of Old State Road and is about 30 acres farmable land, and the other parcel south of the lagoons is 36.5 acres of farmable land.
    The city received eight bids.
    Jondro Farm was awarded the farm lease. The term will be from Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2027. The cash rent for the lease period is $17,413 a year for a two-year lease. That represents 59.84 acres of cropland at $291 per acre.
    During the electric portion of the meeting, foreman Kevin Rolfingsmeyer explained that engines eight and nine are about 20 years old, and the water and oil runs through them. During the summer when they were running the engines, they were so blocked up, they had to run sprinklers on the radiators to keep them cool enough to run.
    They are looking to replace the two oil coolers on engines eight and nine, and they received three quotes. The council approved Metro East Industries' quote of $19,987.10.
    The council approved amending the city handbook with verbiage concerning training reimbursement costs. If an employee starts with the City of Carlyle and needs to attend training for the position, the current handbook says it is prorated costs. The city has had two employees leave the Electric Department for better jobs after the city had paid for training for them.
    For the Electric Department, an apprentice lineman must complete the program which is four years. After completion of the four-year program, they must work for the City of Carlyle as a lineman for at least three additional years. The employee will have to work for a total of seven years.
    If the employee voluntarily resigns before completing seven years they will owe the City of Carlyle all the costs of training they have received for their apprenticeship. Alderman Jeff Taylor made a motion to approve amending the verbiage in the employee handbook concerning training cost recovery to read that the employee must work an additional three years after the four years of training. All council members approved the motion.
    The next Carlyle City Council meeting is Monday, Feb. 23.