News

Oct 06, 2023

Marble Falls police, council honor officers

Chief Glenn Hanson (left) and Mayor Dave Rhodes (right)

Chief Glenn Hanson (left) and Mayor Dave Rhodes (right) honored evidence technician Rachel Baldree for her efforts with the Marble Falls Police Department. She is the handler for the department's therapy dog, Brody, who came along to accept the award. Staff photo by Nathan Bush

Members of the Marble Falls Police Department were recognized for their contributions to the city's safety by Police Chief Glenn Hanson and the Marble Falls City Council.

Evidence technician Rachel Baldree, Sgt. Justin Boucher, and Detective Michael Tutor were all honored during the City Council's regular meeting Tuesday, June 6.

The department recognizes distinguished officers and city employees annually with three separate awards: Civilian Employee of the Year, Officer of the Year, and The 100 Club Officer of the Year.

Nominations for Civilian Employee of the Year and Officer of the Year stem from submissions from department staff members, while The 100 Club Officer of the Year is determined by MFPD command staff.

Baldree was recognized as Civilian Employee of the Year. Along with her crime scene work, she is the handler for the department's therapy dog, Brody.

"Rachel is always excited to work, and her enthusiasm is inspiring," Hanson said. "She goes out of her way to help others, she has a positive attitude, and never complains."

Hanson honored Boucher as Officer of the Year by reading nominations submitted by his peers.

"He always leads from the front," Hanson said. "He's always making officers around him better. He is a role model, an attentive ear, and always happy to give advice when asked. He shows love and dedication for the job."

Rounding out the recognitions, Tutor received The 100 Club Officer of the Year award.

"Michael was nominated by the command staff for his dedication and excellence," Hanson said. "He is mature beyond his years and sets an example for what a police officer should be."

Mayor Dave Rhodes thanked the department for its commitment to keeping the city safe.

"Our gratitude is without words," he said. "We greatly appreciate what you do, how you do it, and how you represent us. You make us look good."

In anticipation of the annual and regular meeting of the Marble Falls Economic Development Corp. Board of Directors on June 7, the council approved the reappointments of Judy Miller, Steve Reitz, and Lindsay Plante to serve on the EDC board as citizen representatives. Mayor Pro-Tem Dee Haddock was selected to serve as the council representative on the board.

Former Mayor Richard Westerman, who previously served as the council representative on the board, had applied as a fourth candidate for one of the three citizen spots.

"I’d like to withdraw my application at this time just to make it non-convoluted and keep my application on file in case the opportunity comes up in the future," Westerman said at the meeting.

Councilor Griff Morris was impressed by Westerman's decision.

"That was a nice gesture, Richard," he said. "I’ll be honest, I had mixed feelings. I didn't see any reasons why any applicant should be excluded because they all have done a good job, but I had a problem with not supporting Richard's desire, so thank you."

Councilors also heard a presentation by Robert Adams of Plummer Associates, the principal project manager for the new wastewater treatment plant.

Adams recapped the system's technology and outlined the project's increasing costs.

"The funding was based on earlier estimates," he said. "Some things like electrical equipment and installing that equipment have almost doubled in price in the last three years, so we are continuing to look for funding."

The project is a long way from completion, Adams continued.

"We’ve got a whole bunch more to go to get through this process," he said. "It's going to be a multi-year process."

After returning from an executive session, the council unanimously empowered City Manager Mike Hodge to execute a letter of intent regarding electrical power resiliency for the wastewater treatment plant.

Councilors also unanimously voted to authorize Hodge to move forward with research and action to acquire an easement discussed during the closed-door session.

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