By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter

                Williston City Attorney Fred Koberlein was given a surprise farewell gift by his board Tuesday as a sign of its respect for him and his legal guidance over the past decade and his wry sense of humor.

            In return, Koberlein, in his final meeting, lavished the council with praise for its forward-thinking, its civility, and willingness to advance the interests of the citizens they represent.

            He is leaving the city after 10 years of service. The city hired Folds, Walker & Maltby to replace Koberlein as the city attorney.

            The highest tribute any employer can give a departing employee is to say they wish the person wasn’t leaving, which is exactly what Council President Debra Jones told Koberlein as she handed him the tabletop plaque.

            “You’ve been here since 2011, ten years of service to the City of Williston. We appreciate your humor and we hope you come back to visit us someday for a fun reason instead of a business reason. We wish you great luck with your new family and that’s the only reason I’ll let you walk away and not argue about it – it’s a beautiful purpose,” Jones said.

            Koberlein told the council earlier he has two young sons in his new family and he wants to spend time helping them with their homework.

            The council talked about how much they appreciated their forefathers on the city council establishing a city-owned electric utility and gas utility as well as the largest municipal airport for a city its size in the region.

            Williston’s municipal electric system has provided the council with a cash bonus every year to supplement the overall city budget and avoid increases in property taxes.

            Earlier in the night, the council talked about City Manager Jackie Gorman’s proposal to establish a master plan that would be used to forecast what is needed in the future to repair, replace and expand the city’s utilities and other infrastructure.

            Koberlein commended the council on moving in that direction.

            “You’re about to become what we talked about when we talked about your utility system and we talked about your forefathers and how thankful you are for them, and you all are the forefathers for future generations,” Koberlein said. “When you get a city utility master plan you will be ahead of so many local governments seven times your size and you are going to be the forefathers people talk about.”

            “When you look at it through my lenses, you watch these things occur tonight and they occur all the time because you guys come prepared. You’re civil even when you don’t agree. You aren’t in a rush to get things done. You’re willing to let your city manager pull some things (off the agenda) so it can be brought back to you. You’re looking out for people other than yourselves and looking out for more than just a sound bite on social media.”

            “And so it’s really been a privilege to work for you all. You have taught me so much, you really have. When I told you how I use you as an example, I really can’t tell you how many times I use you as an example because it’s countless. For a small local government, it’s been really, really a joy. I want so much for you all.”

            Koberlein’s sense of humor, his wit, and his humorous timing, often left the council laughing. He was gifted with the ability to make a humorous comment, often about himself, without breaking a smile. The council, nearly always caught off-guard, welcomed being gently ambushed by their comedic attorney.

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City of Williston Regular Meeting July 6, 2021; Posted July 8, 2021