HILLSBORO, N.D. -- Gary Peterson, the office manager-technician for Traill County (N.D.) Water Resource District, wonders if Hillsboro, N.D., farmer Roger Anderson's legal battles over drainage are more about some kind of "personal vendetta."
In Anderson's mind, Peterson is especially emblematic of the cross-connections that can occur between boards that govern water boards.
Peterson, 60, a former farmer, served on the Traill County Water Resource District (Water Board) from 1986 to 2000 -- some 10 years as its chairman.
Gary Peterson retired from farming in 2000. He farmed with retired farmer, Ron Peterson of Buxton, N.D, who was elected to the Traill County Commission in 1998. Ron Peterson says he's never had anything to do with Gary's water board appointments.
Gary Peterson studied economics at North Dakota State University, but
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didn't graduate. He briefly worked on a survey crew on Interstate 29, some 40 years ago earlier, and then spent 35 years as a farmer in Traill County's Belmont Township.
Peterson was on the water board in 1999 when it hired technician Perry Kalk and in 2001 when they fired him.
Kalk, a U.S. Army veteran, was a registered land surveyor who had worked for the North Dakota Highway Department before joining the water board.
Kalk started at $27,000 on May 20, 1999. Almost immediately, he received two successive $500 bonuses. On Aug. 30, 1999, his base salary was increased to $27,500.
On July 16, 2001, water board minutes say that chairman Peterson, who had quit farming and was working for another farmer, started to do some work for the board on a "temporary, full-time" basis for six to eight weeks -- no later than Sept. 30, at a rate of $16 an hour.
On Oct. 29, 2001, the water board terminated Kalk, based on a negative evaluation by the board's part-time, retired engineer, Robert Boone of Glyndon, Minn.
"Boone thinks Kalk is not fit for the technician position," the minutes say.
At the same meeting, Steve Thoreson of Buxton, N.D., moved to terminate Kalk's position, effective Nov. 1, 2001, but the board gave him pay and benefits for three months.
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On Nov. 5, 2001, Chairman Peterson "turned the meeting over" to Gary Thompson of Mayville and the board discussed Peterson's temporary employment. The board decided Peterson should continue working on a temporary basis because his water board term went through Dec. 31, 2001.
On Jan. 7, 2001, the board set the tech's salary at $27,500, and increased it to $28,500 after six months. In the same meeting, the board offered the tech job to Gary Peterson.
Looking back, Thompson says he is certain the position was advertised, but says that only one other candidate applied (a fact confirmed by the unsuccessful candidate).
Almost immediately after his termination, Kalk moved to Ireland, his wife's home country. He initially answered an e-mail from Agweek, but then, without explanation, stopped responding.
Somewhere along the line, Peterson became the office manager as well, supervising a secretary who now has been there a year.
Peterson in 2007 said his pay had increased to $42,000, a figure he says he still earns, despite Thompson's saying employees receive 1 percent to 4 percent annual cost-of-living raises. Peterson also has use of a pickup truck and four-wheeler for his work.
Thompson says Peterson has done a good job in the position and has grown into the role: "If he didn't have much survey experience before, he's done a lot of it by now."
