(Meeting Updates - Photo Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

VIENNA — Vienna City Council held its first meeting of 2025 on Thursday with a new mayor and recorder and several new council members.

Chad Emrick took over as mayor from Randy Rapp, while Rod Smith became recorder, replacing Melissa Elam.

Returning council member Jim Leach was joined by four new members, Harry Deitzler, Tami Rhodes, Tony Morrison and Henry Sasyn.

During Thursday’s meeting, council approved a resolution accepting a bequeathment of $112,054.93 from the estate of Chief James G. Midkiff, a former Parkersburg Police Chief. The bequest is intended for the benefit of the citizens of the City of Vienna, specifically for improvements to the Vienna City Park System, according to the resolution.

Council approved a resolution appointing council liaisons to various commissions and departments in the city of Vienna. Those included: Dietzler, Vienna Volunteer Fire Department; Smith, Vienna Police Department; Rhodes, Vienna Senior Center; Sasyn, Finance Department and council representative to the Budget and Finance Committee; and Leach, Department of Public Works.

The resolution was passed as submitted after discussion regarding Leach’s appointment as council liaison and a separate resolution that would have appointed him to serve as a director on the Vienna Utility Board as a council representative. City Attorney Russ Skogstad said he could not do both, so the second resolution was taken off the agenda until someone can be chosen for appointment as the council representative to the utility board.

Council also approved resolutions appointing Morrison to the Vienna Board of Parks and Recreation; Rhodes to the Vienna Planning Commission; and Smith to the Vienna Tree and Beautification Commission.

Two resolutions appointing directors to the utility board were on the agenda but council voted to table both Thursday. One would appoint Vienna resident Steve Middleton to complete the unexpired term of John Barr, which ends Feb. 24, and then serve a full four-year term running from March 1, 2025, to March 1, 2029. The second would appoint Vienna resident Michael Simmons to a four-year term on the utility board.

Both had been requested to attend Thursday’s meeting in case councilmembers had any questions but were unable to make it due to a combination of holiday plans and travel delays due to weather, Emrick said. Their appointments are expected to be brought off the table at a future council meeting for consideration.

In the final resolution approved Thursday, Vienna resident Bobby Marshall was appointed to the planning commission as a business representative for a three-year term beginning March 1.

Wayne Towner can be reached at wtowner@newsandsentinel.com