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Onalaska Mayor Mike Giese was glad to have the city’s new police chief, Jeff Trotnic, finally in City Hall, after a long, sometimes frustrating hiring process.

“I often had quite a time getting in touch with him, but this will show you what type of neighbor Jeff is,” Giese said. “He was out helping his neighbor clear ice damage with his chain saw.”

During the swearing-in ceremony Tuesday morning, Giese wasn’t sure where to pin the badge on the new chief since Trotnic was wearing a suit, so he gave the badge to Trotnic’s wife to present to him.

After swearing in and signing his oath of office, the Trotnic’s first words were: “Yes, I like my chainsaw. I’ll find any excuse to use it.”

Trotnic said the first thing he would do to establish the tone of his administration was meet with the officers individually and then meet community members by getting out in it.

Reaching out to other emergency leaders also is high on his priority list. “I’ll be reaching out to meet with the other chiefs in the area,” Trotnic said. “In addition to the city of La Crosse and La Crosse County, there are a lot of smaller communities with whom I would like to get familiar.”

When asked what he would do to create positive morale, Trotnic emphasized the importance of listening to and respecting each other.

“You have to be open to ideas other than just your own,” Trotnic said. “You don’t implement change just for the sake of change. And if you do make changes, you have to explain to the people affected why you’re making the changes.”

Giese said he was looking forward to a period of continuity of leadership and felt Trotnic was a wonderful fit. “His dad even left a message on my telephone answering machine saying he was proud of his son and how happy they were in making the move. That’s the kind of family Jeff comes from,” Giese said.

Trotnic comes to Onalaska from the Joplin and Duenweg, Mo., police departments. He is married with three daughters, two of whom started school in Onalaska the same day he started his new job. The other daughter is in college.