Thomas Clark sworn in as new police chief

At Monday evening's meeting of the Odessa Town Council, new police chief Thomas Clark was sworn in by Odessa Mayor pro tem Terry Goetz in the absence of Mayor Lois Hubbard. Following a lengthy search for the "right fit," council members selected Clark to fill the position vacated some months ago by Helen Coubra. Joining Clark for the occasion were almost his entire family, plus two former colleagues from the Quincy Police Department.

A native of northern California, Clark moved to Washington state in 2007 to join the Quincy police force. One year ago, he decided to try something new and different and went to work for a Quincy area farmer. The experience left him with even greater respect for farmers than he already had, but the break from law enforcement duties taught him where his heart truly lay.

He was re-energized and planning a return to the Quincy police force when the job opening in Odessa caught his attention. He and his wife visited the town a few times to get a feel for the people and for its sense of community. He applied for the job, and the council approved his selection.

During his first two days on the job, Chief Clark was busy contacting individuals in other law enforcement agencies within Lincoln County to introduce himself and begin getting to know the people he will be dealing with, including other police departments, prosecutors, defense attorneys and judges. He says he wants to focus on good communication between his department and the public and has proposed using both The Odessa Record and social media to accomplish that end. He plans to publish regular reports on the actions taken by the Odessa police force. He said he wanted the public to have the facts in hand from the source, rather than having the rumor mill fill in the blanks. Like most other law enforcement personnel, he hopes to be able to count on community members in turn to act as the backup eyes and ears of his two-man department.

Clark and his wife Katie are putting their house in Quincy on the market and will be seeking a residence in Odessa. The Clarks have three children, all still in school in Quincy. After some initial dismay, they are looking forward to their move to Odessa. Their oldest daughter, Jordan, is a freshman at Quincy High. She plans to remain at Quincy High at least through the end of the volleyball season. She also participates in basketball. The couple's middle child is Hunter, a seventh-grader who enjoys video games and hanging out with his friends. Youngest daughter Kylie is in the fifth grade. Until the family is able to sell their home, the children and their mother will remain in Quincy, while dad commutes to his job in Odessa.

Chief Clark said he was drawn to law enforcement because it gives him a way to serve the public. He is particularly gratified when he can make a positive difference in a person's life. He is very family oriented and is looking forward settling his family in Odessa as soon as circumstances allow.

In other council business, it was determined that a back-yard fence that has been a point of contention between neighboring property owners was indeed installed legally and grandfathered in once the town passed an ordinance to require building permits for fences. A garage built on the neighboring property was also found to have been granted a valid variance to sit on the property line.

In pursuing renewal of the plant's wastewater permit, Bob Grandy an insurance risk manager working for the Livestock Producers Cooperative Association plant in the Odessa Industrial Park informed the council that incorrect figures used in the design stage had estimated wastewater produced by the plant at levels far higher than those actually found during production (1,305 gal/day estimated for the initial permit versus 262 gal/day in actual usage). In addition, the plant had closed off certain drains and added filtration to others in order to solve problems in terms of the biowaste load. He asked the council to change the biochemical oxygen demand limit to 4.8 pounds and to eliminate the wastewater surcharge unless that limit is exceeded. Council will study the matter and let him know their decision.