Houston to soon begin bolstering depleted staff

HOUSTON — A month after Capt. John Rhyshek resigned from the city’s police department and six months after former City Clerk Daleann Pond left, Houston is on track to fill two important vacancies.

Mayor Sandy McDonald said preparing Houston’s next fiscal year budget ate up most of city council’s time in recent meetings, but the group will soon meet to discuss replacing Rhyshek.

The city will likely promote Officer Jason Holmgren, now the city’s only officer, to head the department, McDonald said. Then another officer would be hired to fill Holmgren’s slot.

Council still has to approve that plan, she said.

In the search for a new city clerk, McDonald said the application period is winding down. The position is one of the few professional administrative positions in Houston city government. McDonald said the city is also looking for a new treasurer.

The mayor predicts Houston well be back up to staff and have a clerk and a treasurer hired in three to four weeks. That would be welcome, she said, as the first half of 2008 has been tough.

“Sometimes it gets ugly and time consuming, and it’s not a whole lot of fun to have to wait six months for something to happen,” McDonald said. “The exciting thing is that we didn’t just try to fill the positions, but the proper process was followed.”

Pond left in early January and Rhyshek resigned in May. McDonald has declined to get into specifics as to what drew the police captain’s resignation, citing confidentiality rules in personnel matters.

Overall, 2008 has had much turnover on Houston’s city staff and council. Mayor Steve Frost resigned in February, leaving the council to select someone to fill his council seat and a council member to replace him as mayor. Paul Stout eventually filled the seat, and McDonald took over as mayor.

In April, councilwoman Carla Hendrix resigned, and was later replaced by Ralph Buzard.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.