City begins search for police chief

By Lindsey Vaculin

General Manager

The City of Cameron took its first steps in hiring a new police chief during its meeting Feb. 21 naming a committee to begin the search.

Mayor Connie Anderle, Councilmember Robert Davis and City Manager Rhett Parker will serve on the committee, which will read over applications and submit finalists to the whole council.

Parker told council that the police department is currently running smoothly under the direction of himself and three sergeants – Chris Stringer, Tony Maskunas and Jerry Muhamet. 

He said each of the sergeants is taking on a different administrative role. The department has also moved Officer Clay Domel from animal control to being a full-time police officer and hired on a new officer last week. He said the department is currently conducting interviews to hire one additional officer. 

“We were vacant three positions,” Parker said. “Clay filled one of them, we hired one, and we have one left. Those aren’t including the chief of police. Currently things are working well and each sergeant has really stepped up to take responsibility.”

Council also held a public hearing for the creation of a reinvestment zone for commercial-industrial tax abatement for Livestock Nutrition Centers to come to Cameron.

“This reinvestment zone is for a new business,” Cameron Industrial Foundation Executive Director Ginger Watkins said. “They have requested a tax abatement for the capital investment they will be bringing.”

Watkins said the property is the land the Economic Development Corporation owns in Cameron Industrial Park, which is about 30 acres. The company will be taking the entire site. 

“Their initial project is $4 million and one of the initial aspects of this projects that is very exciting is that it will include additional rail sites in the Industrial Park,” Watkins said. “That is exciting because it will benefit our other rail-served business in the Industrial Park.”

Watkins said that in addition to the $4 million investment the company would create 10 jobs and expect to add more job creation in the future.

Livestock Nutrition Centers is a custom feed blender that is based in Hutchison, Kansas, which does bulk feed for producers.

“They are an excellent fit for Cameron and the region,” Watkins said. “The people and the way the do business is superlative.”

The initial facility will be a blend facility for grain and a distribution facility. Watkins said construction should begin in 18 to 24 months.

In other business the council also approved moving forward with the creation of Tourism and Retail Director through an interagency cost reimbursement agreement with the CEDC, Cameron Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Board. The other three entities are expected to approve the agreement at their next meetings.