Rock retires as Fire Chief, board members named for 2015 at City Council Meeting

Fire Chief Bill Rock informed the Malta City Council at last month’s meeting that after 32 years he would be retiring as chief. Chief Rock thanked the city for the support over the years and let the council know that he will be an active member of the Fire Department. Malta Mayor Shyla Jones thanked Chief Rock and the entire fire department for everything they have done through the years.

During the department reports, Public Works Director James Brown informed the council that he and his crew built a standpipe to improve the process of filling the water tank used to flush sewer lines around town.

Director Brown also informed the council that Phil Henderson sent a camera down the sewer line near the Malta residents houses who have had trouble with the sewer backing up into their basements. He said that the video footage showed a tree root in the line and that the City Crew ran a root cutter near the troubled sewer line as well as at a problem area on Hillcrest. It remains to be seen if the root cutting has had any effect on the problem area, but Director Brown suggested that if the problem persists that there are a few options the city crew can take (either a root control chemical or the instillation of a saddle where the two troubled lines connect.) Director Brown added that representatives from both the Hi-Line Retirement Center and Phillips County Hospital would accompany the City Crew the next time the manholes in the area are checked.

Brown told the council that he had ordered new hospital signs to be posted along the roadway from the old hospital to the new hospital and in the final bit of business requested that he be able to attend Rural Water School. The council approved his request.

During the new business portion of the meeting, Mayor Jones informed the council members that it was time to select a business to provide fuel purchases in 2015. She said that both Equity Co-op and Westside Self Service are next in the rotation. The council made the motion and then approved the two businesses.

Mayor Jones also submitted the names of Lorie Bond for Malta Clerk and Treasure, Brown as Public Work’s Director, Greg Boos as Fire Chief, Danny Paul Shores and Greg Ziegler as Co-Assistant Fire Chiefs, Mayor Jones as Zoning Administrator, David Hanson, Randy Skinner and Don Voegel to the UBC Board of Appeals, Warren Abrahamson to the Law Enforcement Board, David Rummell to the Judith River Foundation Board, Gary Knudsen to the Phillips County Conservation Board, Mark French, Shores, Swede Uphaus, BJ Rhodes and Janni Wiese to the Trafton Park Arena Committee, Alice Hofer, Bob Johnson, Malcom Clouse and Dale Enerson to the Planning Board and Gayle Stahl as City Judge.

The next Malta City Council meeting is slated for Tuesday, January 13 at 5 p.m.