City opens police chief position again

RANDOLPH – Randolph’s Police Chief is looking to retire – again.

The Randolph City Council agreed to post the police chief job at its meeting last week.

“This is just to start putting it out there that we’re looking,” said Mayor Dwayne “BoBo” Schutt at the meeting. “Some day, we’ll let him go.” Police Chief Pat Eller said he’s willing to work with the new hire to ensure a smooth transition and hopes to exit this spring, possibly by May.

Eller first retired as Randolph’s police chief in March 2024 after seven years of service but returned to the post six months later after his replacement was fired.

Kannesha Nept came to Randolph after serving on the police force in LeMars, Iowa. With an out-of-state police certification, Nept was required to complete a reciprocity exam to officially become a certified officer in Nebraska. To officially serve as police chief, Nept had additional training requirements.

Nept was terminated in August 2024 after law enforcement was called to a domestic incident at her home. In the six months she was employed, Nept drew a full-time salary but never became a certified officer.

While Randolph was without a local police chief, the Nebraska State Patrol and Cedar County Sheriff’s Office responded to local calls as they were able.

Eller returned to the post in mid-September but would like to revisit retirement. Tony Backer has been working as a reserve officer under Eller since the beginning of the year.

The full job posting for the police chief position is available on the city’s website and is open until filled. The job requirements include a provision in which the applicant must possess a current Nebraska Law Enforcement Officer Certification.

Employee handbook changes

City Administrator Sheila Korth-Focken presented updates to the employee handbook, with the inclusion of three additional paid holidays, however, no action was taken on adopting those changes.

Many of the changes suggested in the employee handbook were to correct redundancy and to reflect updates in federal law, Korth-Focken said.

Councilman Todd Greiner took issue with a proposed change to allow employees to receive all of their wages during absence classified under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

“If they’re getting paid for that whole 12week period without having to take any time off of vacation or sick leave, that’s a huge financial burden for the city,” he said.

Under the federal law, eligible employees may take up to 12 weeks of FMLA leave but employers aren’t required to pay them. Employees are entitled to return to their same or an equivalent job at the end of their leave.

The FMLA also provides certain military family leave entitlements that are outlined in the employee handbook.

Council members will study those changes and the item will be put on the agenda for discussion at a future meeting.

“There’s a lot of extra paid time off in here,” said City Attorney Keelan Holloway. “I think you guys should be aware of that and make a decision that’s best for the city.”

North Bridge Street bids

The city council agreed to modify its request for bids on a nuisance property they purchased last summer.

The city purchased the property at 104 N. Bridge St., formerly owned by Rose Ann Rohloff, and some additional lots along the Middle Logan Creek floodplain project this summer for $40,000. The city had originally bought the easement on the lots and then purchased the entire lots.

The council put the property out for bid Oct. 30 with the instruction that bids must include a written commitment to remove the house and garage on the property within one year of purchase.

Since that time, the council received one verbal bid and didn’t take any action on it.

There’s been no further interest since and no official inspections of the property, Korth-Focken said.

“There’s mold and a lot of animal crap in there but I don’t see a lot of rotting structure,” said John Dickes, the city’s Public Works supervisor. “But I can’t see past the wall itself, there’s a lot of black mold. I didn’t go down into the basement. I didn’t trust those steps. It would take a lot of work, I think.”

The council agreed to open bids for rehabilitation of the property instead of just removing the structure.

“Other people might give a better bid knowing they could keep a structure there,” said Tom Guenther, Randolph. “You don’t know for sure right now if you tear that house down you can even build anything on there because you’re not out of the floodplain yet. I don’t know if the city got ahead of themselves there.”

Under the new bid instructions, the city would require a timeline for the new property owner to get the overgrown vegetation in order within six months of purchase and the property to be inhabitable within one year.

The deadline for bids will be extended until April 30.

No trespassing signs have been placed at the property. Anyone wishing to inspect the home should contact the city prior to doing so.

If no acceptable bids are submitted, the city would move forward in eliminating the nuisance property by getting any asbestos removed and demolishing it, said Deputy Administrator Josh Rayford.

The council spent 30 minutes in executive session to discuss city real estate but no action was taken. The meeting was attended by five from the public.

The next city council meeting is set for 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 12.