Minnesota Highways, June 1954

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VOL.  3,  NO.  8
1246 University Ave., St. Paul 4, Minn.
JUNE,   1954
nWv
Darrell Heads Merged Traffic-Planning Division
Consolidation Will
Promote Efficiency
Wider application of traffic
engineering data to the planning of state highways will result
from the consolidation of two
Highway department activities
July 1.
On that date, a new Division of
Traffic and Planning will begin
functioning in the Highway department, headed by J. E. P. Dar-
iKfiji
tS&i^dfoaM *7<*^e4 Octet —
Ferderer Resigns After
Six Years' Staff Service
Highway department has a
STeTv administrative assistant and
director of personnel this month
as a result of the resignation of
Robert C. Ferderer, well-known
staff member who has served in
that Central Office capacity since
1948.
The new staffer is Kermit Bergstralh, who was first introduced
to Hiwayans when he became Mr.
Ferderer's assistant in December,
1952. He Jias
been named acting head of the
Administration
^'division and will
■assume Mr. Ferd-
r erer's duties until
f arrangements are
made  to  fill  the
I vacancy on a
permanent basis.
Mr. Ferderer
bergstralh has headed the
"inistration and personnel division of the Department since his
appointment to that post on March
1, 1948. Before that, he was assistant to the director and personnel officer of the former Division
of Social Welfare, having been a
staff member
there since 1942.
Prior to entering
state service, he
had been engaged for 6 years
in the work of
the Ramsey
County Welfare
board.
Commenting on
Mr.       Ferderer's    MR. ferderer
resignation,    Commissioner    Hoffmann had the following to say:
"In the 6 years since Bob Ferd
erer has been a member of the
staff of the Department of Highways, he has accomplished outstanding results in the administrative and personnel fields of our
operations. He has directed the
coordination of many administrative    functions    and    inaugurated
See   back   page  for  pictures  of   farewell
dinner.
procedures for improved efficiency and economy. He also established better and more uniform
personnel policies throughout the
entire department.
"It is with deep and sincere regret that I accept his resignation
from the state service. His willingness to accept responsibilities,
sometimes extremely difficult, and
to carry through reorganizational
assignments to their successful accomplishment, have been an important factor in the execution of
many of the realignments and refinements recommended both by
the Little Hoover Commission on
Efficiency in Government and by
the Public Administration Service's survey into departmental
operations   and   organization."
Mr. Bergstralh originally came
to the Highway department on
December 8, 1952, when he succeeded Ray Lappegaard as personnel officer. Prior to that, he had
been employed by the Civil Service department since 1949. A
graduate of Macalester college, he
majored in political science and
economics and did graduate work
at the University of Minnesota in
public administration.
A farewell dinner was given Mr.
Ferderer by fellow Hiwayans at
the Lowry hotel June 2.
J.   E.   P.   DARRELL
Okes to Rebuild
Defective Paving
The matter of the deficient paving project on Trunk Highway 8
between Taylor Falls and Shafer
was settled early this month to the
satisfaction of the State Highway
department and in the interest of
all Minnesota taxpayers.
On June 3, the State concluded
an agreement with the Okes Construction company whereby the St.
Paul contractor has agreed to rebuild all defective portions of the
1953 paving job. Reconstruction
work was to begin by June 15 and
must be completed by September
1.
Highway employees who have
been concerned about the paving
job or unable to answer criticisms
that may have come from other
citizens can point with pride to
the conclusion of the agreement.
Particularly noteworthy were the
Department's alertness in discovering the deficiencies and in withholding more than enough payment
(Continued  on  page  2)
rell, present Director of Traffic
and Safety.
The consolidation brings together the Traffic
Engineering activities of the
Traffic and Safe-I
ty   Division  with!
the        Highway!    	
Planning Survey; MR. STAFFELD
and, according to Commissioner
M. J. Hoffmann, makes possible
the "directing of all available resources of the Department toward
the safety aspects of the trunk
highway system."
Mr. Darrell, who will now be
known as Engineer in charge of
Traffic and Planning, was appointed to the top job in the new
Division June 1, when Commissioner Hoffmann announced the
Division's formation. With the removal of Traffic
Engineering from
the Traffic and
Safety division,
the other functions of that divi-
will be
grouped under a
unit simply
known as the
MR. KLETT "Safety Division."
The Safety division will include
Highway  Patrol,   Drivers'  License
(Continued  on  page  2)