Former Gaylord Police Chief Dale Lee Roiger was sentenced Monday for trying to secretly tape City Council members.

Sibley County District Judge Michael Baxter granted Roiger, 60, a stay of imposition for one year and placed him on probation. As part of his probation, Roiger must complete 15 days of electronic home monitoring, 15 days of community service and pay a fine of $835.

Last month, Baxter found Roiger guilty of two gross misdemeanors: illegal interception of communications and misconduct of a public official. The judge dismissed the charge of illegal interception of communications as part of an agreement between attorneys.

The criminal complaint filed in April 2009 accused Roiger of directing one of his police officers in July 2007 to secretly place a voice-activated tape recorder in the office of the Chamber of Commerce in Gaylord, where Roiger suspected some City Council members were meeting in violation of the state's open meeting law. At that time, the Gaylord City Council was considering a plan to hire the Sibley County Sheriff's Office for police protection.

MARY LYNN SMITH