Waite Park council hires new fire chief with $10,000 moving-expense cap and one-year residency repayment condition; approves title changes

Waite Park City Council approved the appointment of Sean/Shawn DS as the city's new fire chief after first rejecting an initial offer. The final hiring motion added an amendment that moving-expense assistance — capped at $10,000 and limited to meals, lodging and transportation — must be repaid if the new chief does not establish residency in Waite Park within one year.

City staff summarized the recruitment process, saying five candidates were interviewed and that the consultant from MGT participated in the evaluation. Staff recommended pay grade 11, step 7 for the position and noted other terms being requested by the candidate: three weeks of vacation, 16 hours of sick leave, and a one-time additional payment to offset health-insurance deductible costs (the transcript reads as "1,60720" and was clarified for reporting as $1,607.20). A councilmember proposed the residency repayment amendment; after a second and discussion about timing and receipts, the amended motion passed.

Council also approved title changes in the fire department to create two assistant-chief positions to ease the incoming chief's transition. The council discussed whether to set a firm termination date for the succession plan, with one councilmember saying a time limit should be set and others responding that retirement timing is the individual's decision; the title changes passed by a 4–1 vote. Staff said the new chief is expected to begin around July 1 and the title changes take effect when the chief arrives.

Council discussion included concerns about using city tax dollars to subsidize relocation to another city, the mechanics of reimbursement if residency conditions are not met, and how long a successor would remain in a mentored role. City staff said the moving expense would be treated as reimbursable with receipts and that the repayment condition would be enforced if the residency requirement is not satisfied.