WINFIELD | Gerald Stiener will replace Paulette Skinner on Monday as president of the Town Council.
An item on the meeting agenda Tuesay put the election of a new Winfield Town Council president and vice president up for consideration.
Council member David Anderson nominated Stiener as president and Don Samburg as vice president with a second by Councilman Jim Simmons
Stiener has served as council vice president since January. The four men won election to the council in November 2011. Skinner has been a council member for seven years.
During discussion before the 5-0 vote, Simmons said that when they took office, council members decided to rotate the presidency and vice presidency each year.
“It’s not something we have to do. We think it is a good idea to rotate,” Simmons said, adding that a Dec. 1 start date allows “for a transition.”
“It is highly unusual to do it (change officers) until Jan. 1,” Skinner said before the vote.
Indiana Code 36-5-2 doesn’t specify when new officers can be elected by a town council, only that the selection can’t be for beyond council members’ terms of office.
The four councilmen thanked Skinner for her service as president this year.
As Town Council president, Stiener automatically becomes a voting member of the Winfield Sewer Board.
Stiener, Samburg and Sewer Board members Mark Wacnik and BC Spear have been at odds over town sewer projects and budgets during past joint Sewer Board/Town Council meetings.
Skinner, Wacnik and Spear voted at Tuesday's joint meeting to defer consideration of two sewer project agreements until Monday. During discussions of those projects, Stiener rolled his eyes as Spear was talking.
When the Sewer Board’s portion of that meeting was completed, Stiener asked Town Attorney David Austgen “do we need them to do DoubleTree (another agenda item)?”
After Austgen answered “no,” Stiener said “good.”
The Sewer Board with Stiener as a member will meet at 6 p.m. Monday at Winfield Town Hall, 10645 Randolph St.
Please Wait…