 The letter of resignation was accepted by the council without
discussion.Snyder thanked Erlenbush for his service to the
community.
After the meeting, Erlenbush spoke briefly on his time with the
city and his plans for the future.
Erlenbush said that he had previously been retired four years
from the state and was operating his own consulting firm when he
took the job with the city, and now he's ready to go back into
retirement.
He noted that as of Nov. 30, he has invested 31 years in law
enforcement, and he's ready to give it up.
"I've enjoyed it, but I'm ready to be retired," Erlenbush said.
"I've got my private business, and the last few years that has
taken a back seat." He added: "I want to build that back up, and I
can work when I want, and not work when I don't want."
He added that he believes the city agency is now in good
condition. He noted that when he arrived on the scene, the city
police department did have some issues, but he feels that those have
been addressed and remedied.
"There are a lot of good police officers over there that do a lot
of good work," he said. He complimented his officers, saying, "I'm
proud of the officers, I'm proud of the agency, and I think the
public feels good about the agency."
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Erlenbush said that the department deals with approximately 1,000 to
1,200 calls per month. He explains that for a town this size, that
is a lot of calls, and that the department stays very busy.
He also said while the mayor and council will make the decisions
regarding a future chief, he has already told each one that he would
highly recommend Deputy Chief Mike Geriets for the position.
Referring to Geriets, Erlenbush said, "He has grown in his
position, and I certainly think he can do the job."
Snyder has asked Alderwoman Marty Neitzel and Alderman Jeff
Hoinacki to work with him in conducting a search for a new chief of
police.
Erlenbush expressed in his letter a hope that he had offered the
city enough time for their search that he will be able to assist a
new chief with transitioning into the position.
[By NILA SMITH]
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