Laserfiche WebLink
<br />Item # 5.1. <br /> <br />,.c\.ugust 22, 2005 <br /> <br />Stepl1en Rohlf - Resignation <br /> <br />It is \~litll bOtll excitement and sadness tllat I l1ereby resign my position as Building and <br />En\Tironmental-t."-\d1ninistrator \~lidl tlle City of Elk Ri'Ter, effecti,Te Septelnber 23, 2005. I <br />vvilllmss \vorking for tlle citizens of tllls community and the excellent staff I ha,Te been <br />blessed \vidl, but I am excited to face ne\v cllallenges and economic re\vards. <br /> <br />I knO\~l I Ila~le been tagged as being long\vinded, but bear \vitll me. Lifter 21 years I Ilave a <br />little to say. <br /> <br />I quit lny job as a forest ranger in .L"-\laska to COlne Ilome to be \vitIl my dad, \vl10 \vas dying. <br />I took a job \"vidl tlle city as a $7 per llour part time building inspector. S110rtly aftel~v-ard I <br />\vas duust into tile position Building and Zoning .L\dministrator \vllen my boss quit. .t\ job I <br />nev.er fOlmally accepted, by tile \vay, or expected to stay in. Dick Hinkle was ~vfayor at tlle <br />time and he con'Tinced me to try it for a \vlllle. \\!ell, 21 years later I feel it is no\v tilne to <br />lea\Te. <br /> <br />It \vas tougll in those first fe\v years \vidl tlle city. Elk Ri\Ter \vas just starting to experience <br />tile grO\vtll boom. It \'laS lne al1d a secretal)T doing all of tlle planning, env1ronmental and <br />builcfulg inspections for tlle city. I even plo\v-ed sno\v- for free as a salaried elnployee for a <br />couple of years because \ve \vere so sllort staffed. So lny department \vasn't holding <br />someone up \vl10 \vas tl)iing to lnake a living I did inspections on Saturdays and plan cllecks <br />on Sundays. In lny office at tlle "Old Crealnel)i" tllere \v-ere places on lny desk you didn't <br />dare lea\Te papers in tlle \,,-inter because sno\v- \v-ould ch-ift througll tlle windo\v. But \~ve felt <br />an obligation as public sel\Tants and \ve lnanaged. <br /> <br />No\v \ve Ila\Te a nice ne\v facility and enougll staff to do tlUngs rigllt. Someone like me is <br />probably not needed as lnucll as I once \vas. TIle ne\v Corrununity Dev'elopment Director <br />can add to \'vllat has already been built Ilere. <br /> <br />I belie'le I can look back on SOlne significant contributions to tllls cOlnmuruty ov.er tlle past <br />nvo decades: <br /> <br />)r TIle fust \"vritten comprellensive plan for tlle consolidated \Tillage and T o\'vnsbip (\V-e <br />started tllls process \vitll a citizen sU1\Tey so tlle plan could reflect tlle v'ision of tile <br />people li'\Ting here). <br />)r TIle f1tst lnaster park plan and tile acquisition of tlle Railroad Hiking Trail. <br />)r Organized garbage collection and curbside recycling. <br />)r TIle creation of a Hel1.tage Presel\Tation Commission. <br />};;. TIle successful application and creation of Energy City. <br />~ Successful negotiations \Vitll tlle Elk Ri\Ter Landfill to \Toluntarily subject tllelnsel\Tes <br />to city regulation (Elk Ri\~er \vas tlle first city in tlle state to license a landfill). <br />};;. Con,\Tincing nine gra,\Tellnining companies to subject tllelnSelv"es to city regulation <br />and \Toluntarily participate in an En\Tironmental Ilnpact Statement (Elk Riv.er's <br />