By Jason Clay Jansky

After serving Karnes City more than 30 years, Police Chief Nolan Jonas officially announced his retirement during Karnes City’s regular meeting November 28.

Council members and the mayor each took turns thanking Jonas for his 34 years of service and took on the task of appointing his successor.

City Administrator Larry Pippen said he’s reviewed the situation and believes the best option is to promote from within.

"There is no law that says (the city) should advertise for any position," he said.

Still, he told council the city should advertise in the interest of proving the city will find the best person for the job. In the mean time, Sergeant Eddie Salas, a 15-year KCPD veteran, will take over as interim police chief.

The selection of a new chief will take at least 90 days, according to discussion. Officer Will Johnson was promoted to lieutenant and officer Oscar Garcia was given the post of sergeant investigator.

The city also got a visit from a regional healthcare organization during their meeting.

Atascosa Health Center representative Monty Small asked council members for their support in a grant the health center is applying for that potentially will bring additional healthcare services to the county.

Small also said it was possible the new clinic could locate within Karnes City itself.

"We’re looking for support for a government-qualified healthcare center," he told council members.

The new clinic would offer medical, dental, and family planning assistance at rates based on income, subsidized by grants from the state.

Mayor Don Tymrak said he was uncertain of the impact the new clinic would have on existing services, so he asked Otto Kaiser Memorial Hospital Executive Director Nancy Kinkler to attend the meeting.

"There are ways that we would support this," she said. "It is really important that it be part of the community."

Kinkler said her preference would be that the clinic’s doctor live in and be a part of Karnes County because he may wish to stay here even if the clinic loses government funding and has to close a couple years down the road.

"President Bush definitely wants to get this program widespread across the nation, but who knows what’s going to happen in 2008," she told council.

Small said his organization has a very good success rate when it comes to keeping funding going for clinics, and that long term, Atascosa Health Center wants to be a part of the county and will work with the local hospital and its physicians.

Tymrak said he also talked to local doctors currently practicing in the community.

"There will be a dilution," he said, "but they (the doctors) are not opposed to that."

Later in the meeting during Pippen’s monthly report, he indicated park progress was moving along and that he’s been pushing contractors to hurry as fast as possible in order to meet the target June 9 opening date.

He also advised council members to install one light pole at the intersection of Davidson and Hackberry streets.

"It is badly needed there for traffic," Pippen said.

He also recommended denying a request to have a light pole installed in the alley of 727 Weir Street, saying the light would be for security purposes and would not benefit traffic.

Mayor Tymrak stated the city’s position was to only install light poles that would benefit traffic. He agreed with Pippen’s recommendation to deny the request for light on Weir Street.

Toward the end of the meeting, Pippen also briefly indicated the city would be filing a lawsuit against the owner of the recently-closed 4B Liquor store in an attempt to regain some of the money the city loaned her.

Erna Mae Pfeil still owes about $8,350 on the note the city issued her from the town’s special economic development loan fund.

She previously stated her business had been having trouble ever since thieves broke in and stole around $2,000 worth of wine and liquor some time last year.