In wake of the ravaging 2014 tornadoes in Pilger and its surrounding areas, City Administrator Lowell Johnson convinced the Wayne City Council last night to “authorize the City of Wayne to the June 2014 Long-Term Recovery Team.” The inclusion of Wayne is to offer services the city has such as a vacuum truck, for “possible short-term assistance.”

“Norfolk has been out helping [the Pilger, Wisner, Wakefield and Coleridge area]. They’ve lost some landmarks and it’s hard to find things that have been smeared over,” Johnson said. “I don’t know if they’ll need our vac truck, but we’re close (in proximity).”

“It seems really top-heavy to have four people over a department of seven or eight,” Mayor Ken Chamberlain weighed in.

“Originally when I was on the civil service, there was a chief and two sergeants,” Council member Jason Karsky said.

There has been talk amongst the council to repaint the blue water tower that reads “Wayne America.” The intent of the job would not necessarily be to make the water tower aesthetically pleasing, but for its upkeep, according to Johnson.

“It would be for maintenance, not for looks,” he said.

The council decided to table the matter for later discussion, rather than to act upon it quickly. The reasoning behind that decision is that the council wants to be sure of the quality of the job.

“I don’t want to hire some random people from Minnesota and see [them doing a poor job],” Johnson said.

The council will also wait for a third party that will ensure everything “looks good” while the water tower is being worked on.