“I would like to see ….

“I would like to see that done,” he said.

Mayor Weix wondered why the city would do a background check now that Grady has been working at the city for nearly three years, but he had no problem having him do random drug tests like other city employees do.

Also, back in 2018, the city hired an outside firm, Public Administration Associates (PAA) in Weston, to recruit an administrator — and part of the process was background and reference checks.

Another sticking point for Ald. Kramer was the one year of wages and health insurance premiums to be paid to Grady if the council fires him without cause.

Ald. Kramer said he spoke to the heads of five companies, and one year is way beyond what they offer. He suggested three months of pay and benefits instead.

Grady, however, said the one-year provision protected him from being fired last year, suggesting that he was the target of a campaign to get rid of him.

“Everyone in this room knows exactly what happened,” he said. “Some of you took part in it.”

If the city only had to pay out three months of salary and benefits, Grady said “I’d be gone” by now.

“It protects me from petty partisan politics,” he said, referring to the one-year severance package.

Ald. Weideman, however, pointed out that it take a two-thirds vote of the council to terminate Grady’s contract, so it won’t just happen on a whim.

“It’s not going to be ‘petty politics’ to get him out,” he said. “Two-thirds of the council has to agree to get rid of them, and that’s a lot of us deciding that.”

Ultimately, a majority of the council voted to renew the contract for three years with the one-year severance package in place.

Kayla Nixdorf became the newest member of the council Monday after the council approved Mayor Weix’s appointment of her to fill the Ward 3 seat he vacated when he was elected mayor. Former Ald. Pete Horacek and Tracie Olson also submitted letters of interest for the seat.

In her letter of interest, Nixdorf said she has lived in the city for 14 years and has served as an EMT on Central Fire and EMS for the past five years.

“Being a team player, I am interested in working together to provide the city of Abbotsford equal and fair opportunities to all taxpayers and being able to help provide input,” she wrote in her letter of interest.

Ald. Weideman voted against the motion.

In a related matter, Grady said he has posted advertisements seeking applicants interested in filling the Ward 2 seat recently vacated by Brent Faber due to health reasons.

_ The council approved a kennel license for 218 S. Fourth St., allowing the owners to keep no more than five dogs. During a public hearing for the license, the homeowners said they recently moved here from out of state and brought five dogs with them. Most of them are elderly or disabled, and they don’t expect one of them to live much longer. Once they are down to three dogs — the maximum allowed without a kennel license — they don’t plan on getting anymore.

_ The council voted to pay members of the room tax commission $50 per meeting, which are held quarterly.

_ The council awarded a $147,115 contract to Steen Construction for a stormwater project on Linden Street and a road reconstruction on North Third Avenue. Steen submitted the lowest of three bids.

_ The council voted to spend $2,500 to install a solar-powered aerator at the retention pond in the Schilling Meadows subdivision, and $2,000 to stock the pond with bluegills and bass for fishing.

DPW Craig Stuttgen said the pond is 12 feet deep at its lowest point, and minnows have already spawned in the water. He said the first stocking won’t happen until this fall.

“It’s just one more thing for kids to do in the area,” he said.

_ The council approved a new five-year contract with Otis Elevator to do annual maintenance and inspections on the elevators at the public safety building. The city received a 3 percent discount for renewing the contract.

_ The council took no action on the city’s ordinance allowing a limit of two fowl (chickens, ducks, etc.) in residential households. An alternative ordinance would have allowed more birds per household, but that would have come with permit fees and regulations, plus inspections by the city.

_ The council renewed all of the city’s beer and liquor licenses for the following year, starting July 1, except for the one at Pizza Hut. Grady said the agent listed on the liquor license no longer works there, so the city cannot renew the license. He said he contacted the restaurant, but nothing new has been submitted, so as of now, the beer license will expire after June 30.

_ The council voted to close city hall on Monday, July 5, in recognition of the Fourth of July holiday. The council’s monthly meeting was also rescheduled from July 5 to June 28 at 6 p.m.

_ The council authorized Mayor Weix, Ald. Mason Rachu and cemetery board members Marcella Amundson and Mary Sanders to sign checks for the Abbotsford Cemetery Association’s account at AbbyBank.

_ The council authorized the mayor or superintendent of schools to sign off on a storm shelter grant awarded by FEMA to the school district.

_ The council accepted an annual report on the city’s wastewater facilities, which got A grades in every category.

Kayla Nixdorf