The Town of Meeker has a new administrator.
The Town’s Board of Trustees voted last week to hire Jeff Wilbourn, who was serving as mayor up through the evening they hired him, as the new administrator.
The Trustees’ action came following about a 40-minute executive session during a special meeting on Oct. 21.
Wilbourn explained after the meeting was ad journed, “I will have to resign from my position as mayor before being the Town Administrator. I will submit my resignation on Friday, Oct. 22,” he added.
Trustee Aaron Head made the motion to hire Wilbourn. Head was joined by Vice Mayor Donna Weber and Trustees Lanny Thompson and Billy Walker in voting for the motion. Wilbourn abstained.
Police Chief Trent Norton was called in briefly to the executive session as was City Clerk and Treasurer Mary Conner. She spent only about a minute in the closed door session.
Wilbourn was in the executive session only a short time and wasn’t in it at the same times Norton and Conner were.
The town has been without an administrator since the Trustees fired Dickie Walton on Aug. 25 during a special meeting. They never have provided a reason or reasons they fired him.
Walton had served as the town’s administrator for about four years.
Head’s motion stated that Wilbourn would begin his duties effective with the Oct. 23 pay period.
Wilbourn noted, “Donna Weber is now the Acting Mayor until the board appoints a new mayor. The board will decide that sometime in the near future.”
Following the meeting, Weber indicated she plans to serve only as the Acting Mayor until the board votes to appoint a new mayor.
Head also mentioned with Wilbourn’s resignation from the board that Trustees will need to appoint a replacement and that could be done before they select a new mayor.
In the citizens participation of the meeting, Jody Vaughn, PWA employee, addressed the board commenting, “I’d like to thank the board for being supportive and ask them to please take into consideration a new administrator. We’ve come to peace and joy and we’d like to continue that. We’re a fam ily,” she stated.
Norton said, “I agree with that. We’ve come to a happy spot and I hope that continues. I’ve seen people (employees) crying and it’s been a tough four years,” he continued.
Trustee Lanny Thompson responded, adding, “We’re too small a town not to get along. I’m an outsider looking in, but everybody needs to get along.”
The citizens participation was held prior to the board later going into executive session to discuss hiring the new administrator.
In other action, the Trustees voted 4-1 to lease purchase from Vision Bank two police cars. Walker recused from voting on the matter since he volunteers for the police department.
It was explained this is a five-year lease purchase and no payments will be made until after January.
The quarterly payments will be $3,300 and will come from the Capital Outlay fund.
Norton said he planned to pick them up last Monday.
Each vehicle will need to be equipped at a cost of $5,000 each.
Conner said that cost is included in the quarterly payments.
Meeting as the Public Works Authority, the Trustees voted to spend up to $15,000 to purchase two pumps for the town’s sewer plant.