New GB police chief gets waiver

GREEN BAY - Green Bay’s city council voted 9-3 on Tuesday night to allow Tom Molitor to continue living in Abrams while working as the city’s police chief.

A city ordinance requires department heads to live in the city.

Molitor says he is ready to remove the interim portion of his police chief title.

“It was a lot of pressure and I'm glad it’s finalized,” said Molitor.

Molitor came out of retirement in July to serve as the city's interim chief.

Last month, the city's police and fire commission offered him the full-time role, despite Molitor living 20 minutes outside the city.

“I've got a family, little kids up there,” said Molitor. “They are established in the schools.”

At the council meeting, some Green Bay aldermen said rules are rules, and Molitor should have to follow them.

“What we don't want is like an etch-a-sketch kind of thing, where we kind of move the little dials as we go along,” said Alderman David Boyce.

Past and present colleagues supported Molitor. A majority of aldermen agreed with them.

“It's been called an archaic ordinance from my people on the far east. I whole heartily agree with the input I got,” said Alderman Jerry Wiezbiskie.

Mayor Jim Schmitt says Molitor's situation has changed his opinion on the city's residency rule.

“You know I need to grow and change too and the arguments for the best candidate trumps everything in my world,” said Schmitt.

With the exemption granted, Molitor says he is excited to continue his more than 30 years of work for the department and the city.

“I like the idea of having a little farm and that's hard to do that in the city and that doesn't mean I'm any less dedicated to the people of the city,” said Molitor.