By Chad Koenen

Publisher

About a dozen people turned out for an employee review for long-time Henning Police Chief and Fire Chief Mike Helle last Wednesday night.

During a special city council meeting, which was kept open at the request of Helle, a wide range of topics were covered including what role, if any, the police chief should be allowed to take in assisting other departments when they are shorthanded or in need, as well as how much an officer in uniform should be patrolling the streets.

For the past several years Helle has assisted the utility department after just about every full-time city employee quit in a short period of time in 2022. Those resignations, which included current city councilwoman Jessica Strege who was just appointed to the city council earlier this year, left the city short handed and Helle jumped into the utility role to keep the city operating at the time. 

“We were trying other keep the lights on. (That) was the goal,” he said.

New Henning Mayor Jesse Hermanson said he has tried to get a handle on what the employees do since taking over the role as mayor earlier this year. He said he appreciated what Helle did to fill in as needed during some trying times in the city, but also wanted to have the long-time police chief return to doing more conventional work as a police officer, instead of working with the utility staff on a routine basis. 

“One of the main things that I’ve been trying to figure out since I have taken over as mayor, and we lost our other full-time police officer, is how we are going to fill those hours,” said Hermanson. “I think everybody recognizes and appreciates the effort you have put in those areas where we have been short going back a few years, but I think we are at a point now where that is no longer exactly the case. Trying to get a handle on what staffing we need on the utility side with you stepping back to the cop side. That is my personal feeling on it.”

Hermanson and Strege both stated the city could be liable for injuries suffered on the job, and Helle may not be covered under the city’s insurance policy, if he were injured while completing a task for the utility department, even though he is already a full-time city employee. Strege went so far to say that Helle should not be performing the duties on the utility department if it is not in his job description as police chief. She also asked whether Helle was qualified to complete the work for the utility department. 

Strege continued to state that she felt the city could be violating employment law since all of Helle’s wage is allocated for the police department and not the other jobs he has been filling in for the city. 

When asked by city councilman Scott Hart whether Helle could continue to work on the expansion projects at Amundson Park and the festival grounds, of which he is a member of the parks committee, Strege said the city should contact its attorney for clarification.

Hermanson said he was concerned that Helle had not picked up more shifts on the police side by donning his uniform and patrolling the streets of Henning since the full-time police officer resigned earlier this year. 

The new mayor requested Helle to provide the approximate hours per week that he will be patrolling and on shift for the police department and said he wanted to see a call log for the calls the police department responds to each month. 

“I feel like I don’t know anything about what the police side is doing, and I guess as mayor, I shouldn’t be the bad guy for wanting to know that,” said Hermanson.

Helle said it would be difficult to have a set 40 hour a week preplanned schedule since he does not know when a call for service, or emergency, would be reported in the city limits. If the city’s goal was to have a set 40 hour a week schedule for the police department, calls outside of those hours would need to be answered by the sheriffs office and could result in a long wait. In the past, Helle has had a varied schedule from week-to-week and oftentimes worked well over 40 hours per week when emergency calls are reported in the city.

“There is not even a day that is better than others. We have certainly shied away from Sundays, but there are definitely some Sundays that are on the other side,” he said.

Helle said he has continued to help the utility department over the years, oftentimes working well over 40 hours per week, in order to help the city staff and make sure necessary jobs are being completed within the city. He said he has been willing to take on additional responsibilities for the betterment of the community. 

“You are short on the maintenance side, you know that. The citizens are going to take it one way or another,” said Helle, who added he helped the utility staff last Saturday night during a power outage. “I get you are trying to be black and white, but it is what it is for the town I guess.”

However, not all of the city council members seemed to be on the same page. Councilman Travis Nelson asked if anyone had actually spoken to Helle about what he wanted to do moving forward. He also asked why Helle couldn’t continue to do some police and administrative work for the police department, as well as help with the utility department if he wanted.

“Has anyone asked Mike what he preferred and his opinion about going back to just a police officer,” he said. 

Strege disagreed and said that would not be a way the city could move forward due to liability and how his work on the utility department can affect wages, due to pay equity concerns for other positions within the city. 

“In theory that would be optimal, but it is not as easy as doing that,” she said.

Councilman Scott Hart credited Helle for stepping in to help the city during a time of need and said that additional effort is needed in a small town. 

“Bigger cities when (police officers) go on calls they probably have 3-4 together, we have one. Power outage they have a large crew that is responsible, is our officer also responsible for the safety (of residents)? Is that a safety call then too? I don’t know Jesse. You can justify it (anyway you want),” said Hart. “Small town we have an officer looking out for everybody. Is that looking out for everybody, helping out in that department when the electricity if it is out? If we have an event like that I think he can be a part of that. He is our safety guy. Having no electricity is an emergency and he should be a part of that. Now after the lights are on and going he can step back from that duty.”

Hermanson pushed back and said the city shouldn’t have people who may not be properly trained working on things like utilities, or the city will be putting itself at a liability risk, something Strege also echoed. 

“You have been willing to step up, but in a way that has been masking if there is another issue,” she said.”If we are going to get to the root of the problem, our staffing and if we have people that aren’t pulling their weight, doing the job for them is not going to make that as clear.”

Prior to last week’s employment review, Helle has asked for work sessions with the city council to discuss employee concerns, which have largely not been held to work out issues with city staff. He went on to say an employee review was probably not the right avenue to take by the council to discuss staffing questions within the city. Just one such work session to discuss the employees and expectations of the city council has been held since the start of the year by the city council. 

In order to get a better grasp on what is needed within the city, Hart said he is planning to do more work in understanding the jobs of the city employees on a day-to-day basis this summer. He is planning to come to the city office and shadow the utility workers, including doing a ride along if necessary, to get a better understanding of what is needed in town. 

“Let’s see what our guys do, spend the day with them. I think it is a good opportunity to really see what is going on. When I get reviews it is not when I am getting a cup of coffee it is when I am doing my job,” he said of his teaching position at the school. “We are probably a little short handed, to what extent I just don’t know.”

The employee review ended after about an hour of mostly just discussion points about the police department and need for further dialogue with the city staff.