SCOTT CITY'S NEW MAYOR ENACTS NEW POLICIES ON ADOPTING LAWS

SCOTT CITY -- The Scott City Council will no longer approve or reject city laws before studying their feasibility during at least two meetings.

Newly-elected Mayor Larry Forhan enacted the new procedure Monday during his first meeting as mayor.

Forhan and five city council members LaDonna Phelps in Ward 1, Kenny Holder and John Rogers in Ward 2, Ron Oller in Ward 3 and Terry Johnston in Ward 4 were sworn in Monday. All were elected April 7.

Forhan also appointed members to eight committees ranging from Planning and Zoning to a committee to oversee the condition of city streets. One council member from each ward will sit on each committee.

"That's the only way you can have a committee arrangement so that the entire town is looked after," the mayor said.

Forhan said the procedure for enacting city laws will allow for more study by council members and more comment by citizens.

"The idea behind it is that you increase the input and encourage the input by citizens," he told council members.

The council's regular study session will also be eliminated, replaced by meetings of the committees. The council's regular meeting will still begin at 8 p.m., but Forhan recommended the meeting time be changed to 7 p.m.

The city department heads will meet with the committees, which will be responsible for bringing department concerns before the council.

Forhan said the department heads, including the police and fire chiefs and the city attorney, will no longer be required to attend regular council meetings, except when they are asked to by the mayor or a council member.

In other business, the council accepted the resignation of David Beck, who resigned as police chief last week. Sgt. Rob Elledge was appointed acting chief.

Larry Angle, chairman of the Police Personnel Board, said the city has begun advertising the chief's position. Applications will be taken until May 29, Angle said, and a new chief will likely be named by June 22.

The department is also short one patrolman, Angle said. Council members discussed whether the department is in an "emergency" situation with an inadequate number of employees.

Elledge said the department is indeed shorthanded. Forhan said he was not prepared to appoint a temporary patrolman from a list of two possible candidates supplied by the Police Personnel Board. He said the appointment could possibly be made next month.

Forhan also said he has asked Lloyd Young, chief of the department's reserve force, to begin "refresher training" for the reserve officers. The training is in driving skills and public relations, he said.

Reported citizen complaints about the reserve force apparently brought about the training.

"This is simply refresher training in these areas, and it could encompass other areas," he said. "It's in response to complaints that have been voiced by citizens in the past couple of months."

Committee appointments were: Budget Chairman Rogers, Brenda Moyers, Jerry Cummins and Johnston; Cemetery Chairman Holder, Phelps, Oller and Johnston; Planning & Zoning Chairman Phelps, Rogers, Cummins and Johnston; Public Works Chairman John Smith, Moyers, Holder and Oller; Streets Chairman Cummins, Phelps, Rogers and Smith; Park Chairman Oller, Moyers, Rogers and Smith; Police Chairman Moyers, Rogers, Cummins and Smith; and Fire Chairman Johnston, Phelps, Holder and Oller.

Rogers was also appointed mayor pro-tem.