The City of Stanley has new members on the Common Council, and with the new faces comes a reshuffling of city committee appointments. In a brief organizational meeting held prior to the regular council meeting this past Monday April 20, appointments made by Mayor Al Haas received council confirmation. Earlier still at a prior Committee of the Whole meeting, which, among other matters touched upon, included a trampoline that had reportedly flew up into the Elk Park during wind gusts earlier that afternoon—no joke!

“Someone’s trampoline flew up into the Elk Park,” city worker John Hoel reported as he sought to be excused from the following meeting to deal with present business. “I have to try and get that out,” he said of the flying trampoline.

Apparently successful as no such trampoline was observed after the night’s meetings concluded, it nonetheless demonstrated the power of the wind.

“That wind got strong for a minute,” another meeting attendee said of earlier that day.

With that, it was into adjournment of the committee of the whole, with roll call being taken for the organizational meeting shortly, all council members answering to a roll call with the exception of Laurie Foster, who made the regular meeting.

After the organizational meeting’s roll call, City Clerk-Treasurer Cynthianna Bergman said that she had only gotten four ballots back, and that voting on a council president should wait until the other three ballots had been returned. With no objections or issues raised with the appointments by the Mayor to the various committees, a motion was made by Jacob Huff, seconded by Mike Karlen to approve the committee appointments.

After approving general committee appointments, the organizational meeting moved on into discussion of 2020 committee projects as recommended by Mayor Haas. Kent Barby raised questions regarding some of the projects and notably the D.R. Moon Library, seeking to know if there was a specific issue. Clerk-Treasurer Bergman said that there was nothing specific to the library and that it had been brought over from the previous year. Barby then briefly asked if the generator was also planned.

“I think these are ones that we’ve put on there each year, knowing that if we have money we’d like to do something for them,” he said. With a motion by Barby, seconded by Huff the recommended 2020 committee projects passed. Reached earlier in the day for comment, Haas had his own priority to share, being seconded by at least one newly elected council member, Second Ward Alderman Kevin Hendrickson.

“Our main goal right now for the city is get that wastewater plant in operation,” Haas shared, adding that continuing to clean up the city was another important matter. With that, it was on into item number 5 on the organizational meeting agenda, the appointment of council members Rick Hodowanic and Jacob Huff to serve a one-year term on the City’s Plan Commission. With a motion by Hendrickson seconded by Mark Fitzsimmons the appointments were made.

From item number 5 it was on into item number 6, the confirmation of the Mayor’s appointment of Jacob Huff and Hendrickson to the Board of Review, with Fitzsimmons as an alternate. With a motion seconded by council member Mike Karlen, the necessary council confirmation was secured. From that, it was on to adjournment, which came shortly.