KINGWOOD —
Tina Turner has been appointed to fill a vacancy on Kingwood Council.
Council voted 3-2 Tuesday for Turner to fill the seat vacated by Michelle Whetsell, who left council to take the city clerk position.
Voting for Turner were council members Josh Fields, Karen Kurilko and Mike Lipscomb. Recorder Bill Robertson and councilman Dick Shaffer voted for former councilman Lefty Stonebraker, who also applied for the vacancy.
Andy Scroggs also applied but does not live within the city limits. Scroggs pointed out that the city’s Facebook post says applicants, “must be a registered voter in the City of Kingwood,” but does not actually state applicants must be city residents.
Kurilko apologized that the post was unclear.
Turner will take office at the next council meeting, June 22. The term ends June 30, 2022. She told council Kingwood is her hometown and where she and her husband raised their five children.
In other matters, council:
- agreed to buy a 2020 Ford Interceptor police cruiser for $33,560, and a 2000 dump truck for the street department for $13,000. The truck, which will be used primarily to haul asphalt, replaces a 1977 model.
- approved the fourth quarter donation to Main Street Kingwood of $1,500. Main Street Director Mary Hibbs said many of the organization’s events and programs have had to be canceled because of COVID-19. Council asked her to make quarterly updates on MSK.
- discussed putting a building inspector on retainer. Without an inspector, it is hard to enforce some city codes regarding condemnation and building maintenance. Mayor Jean Guillot said the city’s Trailer Park Commission also must be reactivated in order to enforce possible violations in city mobile home parks. The commission can refuse to renew the parks’ annual permits, if it finds conditions don’t meet city code.
- reminded everyone that trash must be set on the curb by 6:30 a.m. of the day when it will be picked up. City Supervisor Bruce Pyles said crews often have to double back to gather trash set out after that time.
TWEET @DominionPostWV
