From left, Wood County Circuit Judge Robert Waters, incoming Vienna Mayor Chad Emrick and the Rev. Bruce Reed celebrate together after Emrick was sworn into office. (Photo Provided)

VIENNA — Chad Emrick officially took office in January as the new mayor of Vienna, succeeding Randy Rapp after his long tenure.

According to Emrick, his transition into leadership has been met with cooperation from city employees and department heads, with the administration implementing new policies aimed at streamlining operations and modernizing city functions.

“All the city employees, the department heads, all working together, accepting the change from the election, very well,” said Emrick. “We just are continuing to look, as we go into the new year with our Vienna Utility Board, with upgrades and improvements that we’re going to be making … and then, of course, we’re still working with West Virginia foundation tech center in the new school with Wood County Board of Education.”

One of the major ongoing projects Emrick’s administration plans to continue working on is the Spencer’s Landing development with the Thrasher Group.

The conversation around further developing Spencer’s Landing began as a meeting at Leach Beach in 2023. During that meeting, former Vienna City Councilman Christopher Mancuso who is also an architectural designer, presented different architectural designs for the space including an amphitheatre.

In late 2024, council approved the Thrasher Group to work on developing Spencer’s Landing. Council also developed a steering committee to get both council and citizen input on how Spencer’s Landing should further develop. Some citizens criticized the way the steering committee was selected as well as the potential dollar-amount for the completed project.

Prior to her tenure as a Vienna City Council member, Tami Rhodes brought her concerns before council in July of last year.

“As much as I am supportive of the Thrasher Group, I am very concerned about the steering committee,” said Rhodes. “Is the steering committee going to base their decisions on public input on what the people want or will they base their decisions on what they, as individuals with an agenda, want?”

Moving forward into 2025, Emrick emphasized the importance of public engagement in the development of Spencer’s Landing. A community meeting is scheduled for Feb. 18 at 6 p.m. at the Vienna Community Building in Jackson Park, where the Thrasher Group will present their plans. The meeting will feature small group discussions, allowing residents to voice their opinions directly with the committee.

Gwen Sour can be reached at gsour@newsandsentinel.com