Dodge Center Council authorizes salary negotiations for ambulance director

The Dodge Center City Council has given City Administrator Lee Mattson approval to make a job offer and begin salary negotiations for a new ambulance director.
Mattson said at Monday night’s meeting he was recommending the city offer the position to Jared Oscarson, currently clinical coordinator of an EMS rescue department in Nevada.
Mattson said he and several city staff  members  and officials had met personally with Oscarson over the weekend in Dodge Center.
The offer to Oscarson will be the second attempt by the city to hire a director to                                                                                                replace Dan Stensrud who resigned earlier this year.
In April the council authorized Mattson to begin salary negotiations with Brett Rima of Roseau, for the position. Rima and the city were unable to reach an agreement and the city re-opened the job search.
The position was posted the second time with a salary range of $66,435 to $77,250. Mattson told the council members that because of Oscarson’s experience he would likely be towards the upper salary range. Council members also authorized Mattson to negotiate for relocation expenses up to $5,000.
Since Stenrud’s departure Lindsey Derby has been acting director.
In another ambulance department-related decision, the council also approved the hiring of three part-time paramedics. In addition, they agreed with Derby that implementation of a new scheduling plan be delayed until the new director is on the job.
In other action at Monday’s meeting, the council approved a resolution ordering a project feasibility study for the 2017 Street Improvements.
The projects that will be included in the feasibility study include 6th Avenue NW (3rd Street to County 34), 5th Avenue NW (3rd Street NW/4th Street NW), 3rd Avenue NE (2nd Street to 4th Street), 3rd Street SE (Central to 4th Avenue), 1st Avenue NE, 3rd Street SE (4th Avenue SE to the east) and 2nd Street NE.
The city engineer will prepare the report to advise the council as to whether a proposed improvement is necessary, cost effective and feasible. Neil Britton of Widseth, Smith & Nolting, said the report could be ready by the second council meeting in July.
The council will decide what, if any, projects should be