Public Works Director Chris Petree Resigns
Volunteers Are Eyes And Ears Of Weather Service
HUGO - On May 20, Public Works Director Chris Petree submitted his resignation to the city aft er almost 9 years of service, intended to be eff ective June 27. The move came following Petree's decision to become Operations and Maintenance Director for the city of Lakeville.
Five days later, Petree's house in Creekview Preserve was blown off its foundation while he took shelter in the basement with his wife and daughter. His harrowing story became a staple of local and national media reports in the days following the storm.
With so much rebuilding work to be done in the wake of the tornado's destruction - and with the consent of his new employers in Lakeville - Petree's final day on the job in Hugo has been pushed back to July 25.
At its June 16 meeting, the Hugo City Council formally approved Petree's resignation and authorized staff to advertise for his replacement.
"It was very difficult to make the decision to leave Hugo because of the wonderful people in the community," Petree said in mid-May, just after word of his resignation became public, "but it was something I had to do professionally and personally."
Petree has been at the forefront of the city's cleanup and rebuilding effort in the weeks following the May 25 tornado. Mayor Fran Miron lauded him for his selfless service to the community in the days following the storm, service that was all the more impressive considering how drastically his family was aff ected. Despite the fact that Petree's signature moment as Public Works Director may have been his service in the wake of the tornado, city staff said that there hasn't been any formal effort to 'sweeten the deal' in the hopes of keeping Petree in Hugo.
"It was a career opportunity he couldn't pass up," said City Administrator Mike Ericson.
While the city is moving on and will begin the search for a new Public Works Director shortly, it's clear that Petree's services will be missed.
"He's made a huge contribution in taking the Public Works Department from just a pickup truck and a shovel to what it is today . he's a tremendous leader," Ericson said.
Petree helped guide the Public Works Department through a number of important changes, not the least of which was an announcement by Washington County Public Works Department in 2000 that the county would no longer maintain Hugo's streets and perform snowplowing services for the city. That constituted a big change for the city, which then had to consider how to pay for the equipment needed to maintain Hugo's many miles of streets, and pay for a public works facility that could house that equipment - by the end of 2001.
Petree also has overseen Hugo's parks program, and during his tenure, the number of public works employees has grown from one full-time person to over 10 full-time and 5 seasonal staff members.