Shanklin resigns, becomes fire chief
PASSING THE TORCH – Roger Worrell, the outgoing Dyer fire chief and the new Chief Ryan Shanklin.
Dyer City Board members met last Monday night, appointing one of their own as the new city fire chief. Alderman Ryan Shanklin resigned the city board and accepted the job as chief of the Dyer Fire Department.
Ray Carroll made the motion to appoint Shanklin. Carroll said after interviewing able and qualified candidates, the board thought Shanklin would serve the community best. Shanklin will take over the job effective July 1. He is the former Gibson County assistant fire chief
County Mayor Tom Witherspoon spoke with the board concerning Dyer’s EMS ambulance station #4. Witherspoon noted the station has been flooded four times.
“It’s a shame that its flooding like this since it is the nicest station that we have for the county,” said Witherspoon. He said EMS Director Star Arnold came to Dyer to inspect the station and was shocked to see the damage caused by the flooding.
Witherspoon said that the cheapest option is to get a singlewide trailer to use, similar to that of Humboldt’s. “You don’t have to please me but you do have to please Arnold. She will not put her people where it’s not safe and healthy,” he said. The county mayor also said that a trailer would cost about $25,000 which is the cheapest option.
Alderman Tom Mikkelsen asked if Arnold would allow her people back into station four. “We are okay to move back to station four for as long as there is a plan to move forward, perhaps, working with the Army Corps of Engineers,” said Witherspoon.
“No one is talking about moving the ambulance service out of Dyer but if nothing is done then we will have to do something drastic,” Witherspoon said. Mikkelsen asked, “How much did the ambulance service make this year?” Witherspoon replied, “We are $186,000 in a hole this year.”
Younger said at the next board meeting he plans to bring a list of potholes that need to be fixed. “It’s going to be quite pricey,” he said.
Dyer Fire Chief Roger Worrell reported that the Don Corbin turned in his gear and left the department. Worrell also reported that they had a good dedication service last Monday for the helipad.
Ray Carroll made a motion that the city hire Jason Cantrell as a seasonal worker and it was approved.
Aldermen passed ordinances setting the city property tax rate ($1.74 per $100 assessed value), water rates and sewer rates. They also adopted the new budget, amended the previous budget and adopted a drought management plan. The Dyer city budget was approved on the final reading.
The total budget is $2.6 million. The general fund is $1.14 million and the water and sewer fund is $1.27 million. State street aid is over $90,000 and the solid waste fund is over $138,000. The drug fund is at $1,500.
An open records policy was approved and a garbage rate increase ordinance was cancelled
Mayor Chris Younger read Kevin Hurley’s resignation to the board. Since he resigned he has come back to the board asking to be reinstated. The board voted not to accept his resignation so he will return to work on Wednesday June 28th 2017.
