MONROE - Candidates for Monroe city administrator can expect to see a police officer knocking on their front doors in the near future.
An officer from the Monroe Police Department will be assigned to perform background checks, which includes a personal visit.
The meetings with Rex Ewald, Monroe, and James Mogen, Rice, Minn., are a change from a previous announcement that Mayor Ron Marsh, Alderman Mark Coplien and possibly other members of the Salary and Personnel Committee would make site visits to each candidate's municipality, Coplien said at Tuesday's Common Council meeting.
Coplien said he decided to send an individual from the Monroe Police Department to do the background checks.
"It made more sense to me to have someone with experience in investigation do the background checks," Coplien said.
The duty would not add any cost to the city for the investigator's salary, but would include meals and a travel allowance, he added. Each investigation is expected to take about a week.
On Wednesday, Coplien said a second trip to visit a candidate would be made only if any problems come up during the course of the investigations.
"I'll do that myself, though," he said.
Coplien said he "highly doubts" any problems will turn up in the candidates' backgrounds.
A third candidate, James Gitz, former Freeport mayor, was eliminated after interviews in closed sessions with the full council, Oct. 28.
In closed session Tuesday, the Salary and Personnel Committee discussed but made no announcements about the candidates and compensation for the position.
The proposed 2010 budget includes about $138,000 for the office of administrator, which included $90,000 for salary and about $34,500 taxes, insurance and pension. About $13,000 has been set aside for maintaining the running of the office and position.
The legal fees account was reduced from $114,000 last year to only $60,000 for 2010, with the expectation that the new administrator will be performing almost half of the legal duties.
The council is expected to vote on the budget Nov. 17.
In addition to legal duties, the city administrator position also carries human resources responsibilities.
Candidates for the position were required to have a juris doctor degree from an accredited law school, five years legal experience with three in municipal law, and to be a member of the Wisconsin Bar Association. The city administrator will be required to write policies, ordinances, resolutions, contracts and agreements, and other legal documents, as well as provide litigation, prosecution and other legal services for the city. Human Resources duties include overseeing all personnel matters.
An officer from the Monroe Police Department will be assigned to perform background checks, which includes a personal visit.
The meetings with Rex Ewald, Monroe, and James Mogen, Rice, Minn., are a change from a previous announcement that Mayor Ron Marsh, Alderman Mark Coplien and possibly other members of the Salary and Personnel Committee would make site visits to each candidate's municipality, Coplien said at Tuesday's Common Council meeting.
Coplien said he decided to send an individual from the Monroe Police Department to do the background checks.
"It made more sense to me to have someone with experience in investigation do the background checks," Coplien said.
The duty would not add any cost to the city for the investigator's salary, but would include meals and a travel allowance, he added. Each investigation is expected to take about a week.
On Wednesday, Coplien said a second trip to visit a candidate would be made only if any problems come up during the course of the investigations.
"I'll do that myself, though," he said.
Coplien said he "highly doubts" any problems will turn up in the candidates' backgrounds.
A third candidate, James Gitz, former Freeport mayor, was eliminated after interviews in closed sessions with the full council, Oct. 28.
In closed session Tuesday, the Salary and Personnel Committee discussed but made no announcements about the candidates and compensation for the position.
The proposed 2010 budget includes about $138,000 for the office of administrator, which included $90,000 for salary and about $34,500 taxes, insurance and pension. About $13,000 has been set aside for maintaining the running of the office and position.
The legal fees account was reduced from $114,000 last year to only $60,000 for 2010, with the expectation that the new administrator will be performing almost half of the legal duties.
The council is expected to vote on the budget Nov. 17.
In addition to legal duties, the city administrator position also carries human resources responsibilities.
Candidates for the position were required to have a juris doctor degree from an accredited law school, five years legal experience with three in municipal law, and to be a member of the Wisconsin Bar Association. The city administrator will be required to write policies, ordinances, resolutions, contracts and agreements, and other legal documents, as well as provide litigation, prosecution and other legal services for the city. Human Resources duties include overseeing all personnel matters.