Monday’s Wayland City
Council meeting served as a sort of reorganizational session, as the august body took up setting meeting dates and making appointments.
Only two of the actions prompted some opposition — the election of mayor pro tem and the increase in hours for the billing clerk.
Mayor pro tem simply is a lot like a vice president in that the official pinch hits for the mayor in his absence to run meetings or officiate at public functions. Councilwoman Jennifer Antel has served in that capacity for a long time, perhaps as long as Tim Bala has been mayor.
Though she was nominated for reappointment by Councilwoman Lisa Banas, Councilman Rick Mathis was nominated as well, by Tracy Bivins. Antel prevailed in a 5-2 vote, with Bivins and Mathis voting in the minority.
Billing clerk Kristin Engel was granted an increase in hours, from 20 to 30 per week. City Treasurer Cherie Parrish indicated Engel serves as a sort of assistant to her, besides performing billing chores.
Parrish said former Treasurer Bhama Cairns used to assign former administrative Scott Qualkinbush a variety of duties before his position was downsized. Some of the chores now have returned.
The affirmative vote was 4-3, with Council Members Banas and Antel joining Bala in the minority. Antel said she preferred not having the increase in hours take effect until the start of the next budget year.
Re-appointed without much comment was Banas to the post of ex-officio council representative to Planning Commission meetings.
Meeting dates will remain the same for 2016, the first and third Mondays of each month, but starting times will be at 7 p.m. for all of them. A 6 o’clock start has been policy over the last years when meetings are held on the day before elections, but from now one someone besides the city clerk will take notes of proceedings.
The council announced that nominations for the Citizen of the Year can be picked up at City Hall by those who did not see them in their tax notices. The special citizen will be honored at an Appreciation Dinner Jan. 29.
Council quickly gave its blessing to Bruce Patrick to apply to the state for a liquor license. Patrick plans to add a brewery to his Daily Brews business in the 100 block of South Main Street downtown.
