Retirement prompts sheriff's office restructuring

Rock County Commissioners have opted to begin their bi-monthly meetings by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
The practice began Oct. 4 as a suggestion from chairman Jody Reisch.
“In light of what is going on in our nation, I sometimes think it’s a forgotten piece of our day,” he said.
None of the commissioners objected.
 
Structural changes within the sheriff’s office
With the retirement of dispatcher/supervisor Terri Ebert at the end of the year, Sheriff Evan Verbrugge told commissioners he is able to restructure his department.
Ebert’s position will be advertised without the current supervisory duties attached.
The job reclassification allows Verbrugge to budget for a dispatch replacement and offer one of his current officers a promotion without increasing his existing budget.
“Now was a good time to restructure the office and how it was being laid out and maybe looking at getting a nighttime supervisor and restructuring the dispatcher center as well,” he said.
Verbrugge had originally requested an additional $10,000 in his 2017 budget for the sergeant position.
Commissioners unanimously supported the job description change and sergeant position.
In other business, commissioners met Scott Adams, the new employee in the Land Records Office. Adams had previously worked with Cragoe Realty in Luverne for more than 11 years.