Russellville council reorganizes Thursday

RUSSELLVILLE — The Russellville Town Council had organization as its primary business after rescheduling its regular meeting to Thursday evening.

Tony Riggen took over his seat from Bill Spiegel, who has filled the spot since earlier last year when Norma Jean Gross retired from the council. However, it considered Cathy Jones’ remaining on the council with her open spot having been uncontested in the recent election.

This came down to Jones being on the council while concurrently a board member with the Little Raccoon Regional Waste District (LRRWD). In essence, it was understood that town officials cannot hold two separate posts if they are both lucrative.

Recalling when he was first appointed to represent the town, Town Attorney Stu Weliever said he was asked to look at the issue. While he opined that both were lucrative, there was disagreement with this from attorney Patricia Sosbe, who represented the LRRWD then.

Jones, who has been on the council for the past eight years, was advised to resign in 2013 by then-Town Attorney Jim Ensley because of her being on both boards. The issue has not raised concerns since as it was allowed.

“The only risk is if at any point that is called into question, and determined that they’re both lucrative positions, votes that are taken could be questioned,” Weliever provided. “We could run into procedural issues.”

With Weliever putting a decision on the council’s purview, Jones ultimately stated that she would resign from the LRRWD. This is as she noted that she had not yet been re-appointed to its board.

As such, Riggen and Councilman Cary McGaughey passed a motion acknowledging Jones remaining on the council. Both she and Riggen signed their oaths of office.

In other business:

• McGaughey was restated as the council’s president.

• The council re-approved Debbie Bartelt as its four-year representative to the LRRWD. This was with Clerk-Treasurer Martha Mandleco noting that the opportunity had not been put out to the community. Even so, McGaughey said he believed Bartelt wished to be re-appointed.

• The council approved the town’s annual contract with the Russellville Volunteer Fire Department. The only change noted was upping the compensation from $10,000 to $12,000, with two installments made out during the year.

With Street Superintendent John Boller and Deputy Clerk-Treasurer Catherine Engle absent, Town Marshal Matt Biggs joined Mandleco, Weliever and the council for the meeting.

The next regular meeting of the Russellville Town Council is set for Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. at the Russellville Community Center.