Larsen asks commissioners to reinstate him

Commissioner Randy Dallke removed himself from any voting decision Monday to ask the other two county commissioners at the commission meeting to reconsider the dismissal of Larry Larsen in October as an emergency medical technician at Peabody.

Dallke said he had worked with Larsen for many years at Peabody, and knows his attitudes and skills as an EMT.

The ambulance service at Peabody is severely limited at only one volunteer without Larsen, Dallke said, and the community badly needs him back in the event of a severe emergency such as a patient?s heart failure.

Dallke said he has counseled both with Larsen?s wife and Larsen in making the request, and that both have regretted behaviors and decisions that led to his dismissal. Most people in Peabody, Dallke said, have asked to have Larsen back.

Commissioner Lori Lalouette said she can consider Larsen?s reinstatement if it is needed by the community.

Commission Chairman Dan Holub said his own background as a naval career officer gives him pause on any move to reinstate Larsen because in the military some of Larsen?s behaviors like hollering, cussing and not following orders in the matter would have had him in confinement.

?It totally befuddles me,? Holub said, ?because when others had great concerns, he was going to do it his way.?

Holub said it is also his understanding that Larsen plans to move away from Marion County in two months, and he doesn?t see how a request for reinstatement for him would be beneficial in that short of a time.

Holub said he needs the time to reconsider the request for Larsen?s reinstatement for a week.

EMS Director Brandy McCarty, who is resigning from that position, said Larsen was dismissed for good reasons, and she sees no reason for him to be reinstated.

Dallke said Marion County would be ?losing a lot of skills? in letting Larsen go.

In another EMS action, the commissioners voted 3-0 to allow a new employee to pay former debt for EMS education at $100 a month from wages for $549.99 total plus year of education to restore to EMT status.

Marion County Park and Lake Director Steve Hudson said an 18-hole disc golf course is now in operation at the county lake attracting many players with its challenging inclines to the water.

The commissioners told Hudson to get price comparisons for a storage building and lake truck garage next to his home at the county lake.

Hudson said getting the truck under shelter will help with enforcing rules at the lake because intentional violators have learned to watch for it being parked at his home to avoid enforcement policies when he?s on patrol.

Zoning Director Tonya Richards said homeowners at Marion County Lake at 33 Lake Shore have agreed to give a road access to the county to avoid unwanted traffic across another portion of their property.

The commissioners approved purchase of two ?Edraulic rams? for $6,150 each for Florence and Peabody fire departments and of two $550 fire resistant jump suits for Florence as presented by fire chiefs Mike Regnier and Ben Steketee.

They said the next big purchases of fire equipment will be next year for Hillsboro and Marion.

County Extension agent Renae Riedy told the commissioners her department has been focusing on courses for food handlers, and on programs to focus 4-H members on what they can do to give back to their communities.

The commissioners met with Transfer Station Director Brad Druse for 10 minutes in executive session for personnel.

They approved an environmental analysis of the courthouse windows project by Paradigm Group for $680 over competitive bids from ISI for $1,325, from Precision Environmental for $2,200 and Terra Com for $2,800.

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