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By Richard Kerns
rkerns@newstribune.info
tribune staff writer
KEYSER — Newly elected Mayor William “Sonny” Rhodes put his stamp on Keyser city government Monday, seating a fifth member of the city council and revamping the membership of the water, sanitary and recreation boards.
Rhodes began Monday's special meeting by nominating Charlie Junkins to fill the seat on the council that he vacated with his election as mayor. The two had worked together at NewPage before Rhodes’ retirement. “I've known him for quite a while,” Rhodes said.
With his nomination unanimously endorsed by the other members of the council, Junkins was sworn in by the city administrator and immediately took his seat
see COUNCIL page 6
beside Rhodes. Junkins had run for city council about four years ago, losing by just 17 votes.
“I’m looking forward to working with the council, and I appreciate the opportunity they gave me,” he said in a brief interview after the meeting.
Aside from the Junkins appointment, Rhodes' other big move from the meeting was to reformulate the membership of the Water and Sanitary boards.
While other advisory panels were left largely intact, the mayor named himself and councilmen Dave Sowers and Glen “Bunk” Shumaker as members of both three-person panels. Rhodes will chair the Sanitary Board while Shumaker — who stepped down as mayor and successfully ran for city council during the recent election — will chair the Water Board.
Noting the impending replacement of Memorial Bridge, and the upcoming $11 million water-plant project, Rhodes said the move will help the city more closely coordinate policy. “I just want to keep things a little closer-knit for the next year,” he said.
Also overhauled was the Recreation Board, which will continue to be chaired by Councilman Isaac “Sonny” Alt, but will see new membership with the appointment of Dawn Moomau, Tom Hughes, Shawn Shite and Steve Stanislawczyk.
“I let Sonny Alt put on his own people,” Rhodes said. “He’s got a pretty good group here.”
All of the various appointments were subject to approval by the city council, which registered no objections to Rhodes' nominations.
During the meeting, members of the city council were also appointed to their individual commissioner slots, where they preside over specific areas of city government. Appointed as Finance Commissioner was Ed Miller, Alt as Parks Commissioner and Shumaker as Water Commissioner.
In another change, the office of streets and sewer commissioner — formerly two different posts — was combined, with Sowers named to the position.
Junkins was named the newly created Regional/Urban Commissioner, where he will oversee city annexation and expansion efforts.
All of the current city-employee supervisors were reappointed to their positions.
Other individual appointments included: City attorney, John Athey; fire chief, Mike Simpson; and municipal judge, Terry Scharader.
For advisory panels — The City Building Safety Commission: Rhodes, Police Chief Karen Shoemaker, Ron Mathias and Earl Perrine; the Muncipal (Public) Building Commission: Rhodes, Jim Chaney and Annette Paxton; Housing Authority: Edgel Rotruck, Robert Melody, Don Seibel, Dough Haines, Kelly Fincham and Don Heare; Municipal Parking Commission: Dick Niland, Cindy Pyles and Beverly Chaney; Urban Renewal Authority: Sonny Alt, Charlie Junkins and Earl Perrine; and Civil Service Board: Bill Keller, Coryey Shoemaker and Jeff Burgess.
For city representatives on county and regional boards, the council named Charlie Junkins to the Region 8 Authority; Junkins and Sowers to the Mineral County Development Authority, and Ed Miller to the Potomac Valley Transit Authority.
By Richard Kerns
rkerns@newstribune.info
tribune staff writer
KEYSER — Newly elected Mayor William “Sonny” Rhodes put his stamp on Keyser city government Monday, seating a fifth member of the city council and revamping the membership of the water, sanitary and recreation boards.
Rhodes began Monday's special meeting by nominating Charlie Junkins to fill the seat on the council that he vacated with his election as mayor. The two had worked together at NewPage before Rhodes’ retirement. “I've known him for quite a while,” Rhodes said.
With his nomination unanimously endorsed by the other members of the council, Junkins was sworn in by the city administrator and immediately took his seat
see COUNCIL page 6
beside Rhodes. Junkins had run for city council about four years ago, losing by just 17 votes.
“I’m looking forward to working with the council, and I appreciate the opportunity they gave me,” he said in a brief interview after the meeting.
Aside from the Junkins appointment, Rhodes' other big move from the meeting was to reformulate the membership of the Water and Sanitary boards.
While other advisory panels were left largely intact, the mayor named himself and councilmen Dave Sowers and Glen “Bunk” Shumaker as members of both three-person panels. Rhodes will chair the Sanitary Board while Shumaker — who stepped down as mayor and successfully ran for city council during the recent election — will chair the Water Board.
Noting the impending replacement of Memorial Bridge, and the upcoming $11 million water-plant project, Rhodes said the move will help the city more closely coordinate policy. “I just want to keep things a little closer-knit for the next year,” he said.
Also overhauled was the Recreation Board, which will continue to be chaired by Councilman Isaac “Sonny” Alt, but will see new membership with the appointment of Dawn Moomau, Tom Hughes, Shawn Shite and Steve Stanislawczyk.
“I let Sonny Alt put on his own people,” Rhodes said. “He’s got a pretty good group here.”
All of the various appointments were subject to approval by the city council, which registered no objections to Rhodes' nominations.
During the meeting, members of the city council were also appointed to their individual commissioner slots, where they preside over specific areas of city government. Appointed as Finance Commissioner was Ed Miller, Alt as Parks Commissioner and Shumaker as Water Commissioner.
In another change, the office of streets and sewer commissioner — formerly two different posts — was combined, with Sowers named to the position.
Junkins was named the newly created Regional/Urban Commissioner, where he will oversee city annexation and expansion efforts.
All of the current city-employee supervisors were reappointed to their positions.
Other individual appointments included: City attorney, John Athey; fire chief, Mike Simpson; and municipal judge, Terry Scharader.
For advisory panels — The City Building Safety Commission: Rhodes, Police Chief Karen Shoemaker, Ron Mathias and Earl Perrine; the Muncipal (Public) Building Commission: Rhodes, Jim Chaney and Annette Paxton; Housing Authority: Edgel Rotruck, Robert Melody, Don Seibel, Dough Haines, Kelly Fincham and Don Heare; Municipal Parking Commission: Dick Niland, Cindy Pyles and Beverly Chaney; Urban Renewal Authority: Sonny Alt, Charlie Junkins and Earl Perrine; and Civil Service Board: Bill Keller, Coryey Shoemaker and Jeff Burgess.
For city representatives on county and regional boards, the council named Charlie Junkins to the Region 8 Authority; Junkins and Sowers to the Mineral County Development Authority, and Ed Miller to the Potomac Valley Transit Authority.
