Newly elected mayor of Ronceverte David Smith swore in two reelected Council members – Barbara Morgan and Shawn Honaker. He said he was honored to be mayor of Ronceverte and he appreciated the support he received
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Having resigned from his seat on the City Council before being sworn in as mayor, Smith said anyone interested in filling the vacated position is invited to send a resume and a letter of application to City Hall. The application must be received no later than 4 p.m. on July 24. Smith said a Special Meeting will be held on July 29 when Council will review and/or recommend a member of the community to fill the Council seat.
The mayor delivered a list of appointees of various City commissions for approval as follows: Amy Baker Hall and Lisa Circle to the Planning Commission for three year terms; Suella Miano to oversee the Library Board for a five year term; Doug Hylton and Suella Miano to serve on the Historic Landmarks Commission for three year terms; Pam Arnold, Marty Smith and Doug Hylton to serve on the City Tree Board for three year terms; and Pam Arnold and Melody Maclntire to the Parks and Rec Commission for one year terms. All appointees were approved. {{more}}
Police Chief J.R. Byer was approved as Emergency Operations Coordinator for the City.
In other business:
• The second reading of the Building Permit Fees was approved. The Planning Commission recommended Council increase building inspection fees to $50 with a $25 fee for the first $1,000 of construction costs with $3 for each additional $1,000 of costs. Smith said the increase was warranted to cover costs to the City. Council member Bob Baker was the only Council member to oppose the fee increase. He noted that some citizens are remodeling without building permits and he did not think it fair to penalize those who got permits.
• A 40 percent increase in residential and commercial trash, garbage and/or refuse removal services for the City was approved. For single family and multi-family the rate has gone from $15 to $21 per week. Commercial rates will vary. Smith said the last time rates had been raised was 12 years ago, and were increased “just to break even.
