Commission must consider all the options

Weighing all the facts.

Hillsboro city commissioners are presently confronted with a pair of on-going problems — an aging water treatment plant that needs attention and the search for yet another police officer.

First, the water plant issue — We encourage the commissioners to take the time and effort to fully investigate a partnership with Traill Rural Water Users. On the surface, it appears a no-brainer. Grants for municipal water systems are nonexistent while money is readily available to “regional” systems like TRW. 

Hillsboro residents certainly don’t want to lose their “ownership” over the system the city has spent generations building. Commissioners like Mike Lessard understand that sentiment and aren’t about to change the city’s status from owner-operator in control to just another paying customer.

We urge commissioners to examine the facts and make a decision that best serves the community now and into the future. We know it won’t be a minor expenditure but — let’s face facts ­— we’ve enjoyed “cheap water” for too long and now the time has come to invest wisely.

The process of building a new plant won’t happen overnight and we trust commissioners will make a decision and follow through with a plan that meets the needs of residents today and tomorrow.

Next, the police issue — Commissioners need to take a closer look at why the city can’t keep a second police officer on staff for more than a few months. For the third time this year, the city is advertising for a replacement. We know that other cities around the state deal with the same dilemma — hire a young officer, train  ’em and lose ’em. We recognize that the pay is better elsewhere and that has become the accepted reason for the defections.

We encourage commissioners to question the officers who have left and try to learn more about what might have kept them in Hillsboro. If the goal is to have a second officer who is more than a transient security guard, commissioners need to reassess who they hire and work harder at keeping them in town.

Commissioner Kyle Stern hit on a novel idea: The  city could pay for a new officer’s training with the hopes that the financial gesture would spur some loyalty on the officer’s part. He also suggested hiring someone with a local connection who would have additional reasons to stay in the community. Stern’s suggestions open the door to more creative thinking about personnel matters.

The revolving door is swinging and it’s the commission’s responsibility to look for ways to slow the turnover. If there are mistakes to learn from, do so. Then find out how to avoid the same mistakes next time around. With a little effort, the department and the community would be better served by the two -person police force that knows the territory and the people — and doesn’t change with the seasons.