Delano Herald Journal

Serving the communities of Delano, Loretto, Montrose, MN, and the surrounding area

Split council accepts building inspector’s resignation



The Winsted City Council voted Wednesday to accept the
resignation of city building inspector Paul Waldron and Associates Wednesday.

Waldron presented his resignation to the council, stating
that he would like the council to determine whether or not he should stay
in Winsted.

Mayor Don Guggemos and council members Tom Ollig and Bonnie
Quast voted to accept his resignation, with council members Gary Lenz and
Tom Wiemiller dissenting.

The council first heard about tension between Waldron and
Bill Gilk of Scenic Homes, Inc., developer of Winsted on the Lake, at the
Dec. 18 meeting.

Gilk expressed frustration in working with Waldron and
Associates. He needed six permits and was waiting for Waldron to process
them.

Guggemos reassured Gilk that night that he would get his
permits the next day.

Waldron claimed he was not invited to that council meeting.

Anyone is welcome to come to any meeting, City Administrator
Brent Mareck said.

The reason Gilk didn’t have the permits issued sooner was
because there was confusion of terms, Waldron said. Waldron needed to know
if the land between the homes were public yard, public way, or common ground.

Depending on space, there would need to be fire-safe walls
in place, Waldron said.

“I was concerned about my reputation. I was not in
the position to issue a permit at that time,” he said.

Guggemos stated that Waldron should have contacted Mareck
if he could not reach Gilk for any permit information.

Waldron asked for a “one-sentence letter from the
developer,” in order to get those permits out.

Guggemos told Waldron that Mareck had faxed him a letter
the day before the Dec. 18 meeting, containing the information needed for
the permits.

“A letter from the council damn well better be just
as good from us, as the developer,” Guggemos said.

Gilk was also present at the meeting and spoke to the council
after Waldron left.

He did not hear anything concerning fire walls before that
evening, Gilk said.

He told the council to know that he is building those houses
to standard.

Guggemos asked Gilk if he was building the houses in Winsted
the same way as those that Gilk built in Hutchinson.

“Yes, they are being built exactly the same way,”
Gilk said.

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