Mayor Clarice Liechty conducted her last City Council meeting Tuesday and Mayor Katie Andersen conducted her first.
Liechty thanked the people of Jamestown for their support in her final comments as mayor. She also thanked people for bringing their issues to the council and said "I hope you will continue to do so." And finally, she told council members she would probably be writing letters to the editor in The Jamestown Sun to keep them on their toes.
In its last official act, the old council certified the election of the Andersen as the new mayor and Ramone Gumke as the new council member. Neither Liechty nor Kelani Parisien chose to run for re-election. The council certified that Andersen had won with 1,141 votes and Gumke with 1,498 votes.
The council also certified the re-election of Tim Ottmar as municipal judge and Joyce Heinrich, Larry Knoblich and Mike Landscoot as members of the City Park District. Heinrich won her bid for re-election by 11 votes following a recount.
City Measure No. 1, which levied half a mill to support the James River Humane Society animal shelter, passed by a vote of 2,172 yes votes to 1,169 no votes. The council certified that vote as well.
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Following the adjournment, the name plates were changed and Andersen called the organizational meeting of City Council to order. City Attorney Ken Dalsted administered the oath of office to the two new members.
As her first official duty, Andersen appointed Dalsted as city attorney and Leo Ryan as city prosecutor. She appointed herself as a member of the seven-member Jamestown Regional Airport Authority to fill Parisien's unexpired term. Parisien's term ends December 2012.
She appointed Gumke to serve out Parisien's unexpired term on the five-member Law Enforcement Center Governing Board. However, the appointment was tabled pending Dalsted's research on whether as an employee of Stutsman County Gumke would have a conflict of interest serving on the board. Gumke is a deputy sheriff.
Andersen named Councilman Charlie Kourajian as chair of the council's Finance and Legal Committee, Councilman Ken Schulz as chair of the Building, Planning and Zoning Committee, Gumke as chair of the Police and Fire Committee, Councilman Pat Nygaard as Civic Center and Promotion Committee chair and herself as chair of the Public Works Committee.
All five City Council committees will meet at 3 p.m. Thursday.
Sun reporter Toni Pirkl can be reached at (701) 952-8453 or by e-mail at tonip@jamestownsun.com
