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HomeMy WebLinkAbout7/1/2020 - City Council - Minutes - SpecialUNAPPROVED MINUTES COUNCIL MEETING July 1, 2020 An Organizational Meeting of the Council of the City of Salem, Virginia, was held in Council Chambers, City Hall, 114 North Broad Street, on July 1, 2020, at 9:00 a.m., there being present all the members of said Council, to wit: Byron R. Foley, William D. Jones, John E. Saunders, Renee F. Turk, and James W. Wallace, III; together with James E. Taliaferro, City Manager; Mike Stevens, Communications Director; Judy L. Hough, Deputy City Clerk; Stephen M. Yost, City Attorney; and Honorable J. Christopher Clemens, Circuit Court Judge for the 23rd Judicial Circuit in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the following business was transacted: It was noted that, in accordance with Section 4.6 (a) of the Charter of the Code of the City of Salem, Virginia, this date and time had been designated as an organizational meeting of Council due to the election of two members of Council and the expiration of the terms of the Mayor and Vice Mayor of the City of Salem; and WHEREAS, it was noted that a press release was emailed to the news media and others on June 23, 2020, providing notification of the organizational meeting; ON MOTION MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER SAUNDERS, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER JONES, AND DULY CARRIED, James E. Taliaferro, II, City Manager, was hereby elected Temporary Chairman of the Council for this meeting of Council -- the roll call vote: all aye. WHEREAS, the Acting Chair Taliaferro reported that William D. Jones was reelected to Salem City Council for a four-year term commencing July 1, 2020, and ending June 30, 2024; and Renee F. Turk and James W. Wallace, III, were elected to Council for a four-year terms commencing July 1, 2020, and ending June 30, 2024; further, the Honorable J. Christopher Clemens is here to administer the oaths of office to Mr. Jones, Mrs. Turk and Mr. Wallace; and WHEREAS, the Honorable J. Christopher Clemens, administered the Oaths of Office required by law as a member of Council to William D. Jones, Renee F. Turk and James W. Wallace, III; and 2 WHEREAS, the Honorable J. Christopher Clemens will properly file the Oaths of Office for Mr. Jones, Mrs. Turk, and Mr. Wallace; and WHEREAS, the Acting Chair Taliaferro thanked the Council members and stated the next order of business was to elect a Mayor for the City of Salem and Vice Mayor for the City of Salem for two-year terms; and WHEREAS, Council Member Foley noted that in the past Council has gone into Closed Session to have a discussion regarding the appointments of Mayor and Vice Mayor; a few years ago a Circuit Court in Virginia ruled that a public body could not go into a Closed Session for this purpose because this is an election of the Mayor and Vice Mayor, not an appointment; he misinformed Council members because he had forgotten about this, but Mr. Yost reminded Mr. Taliaferro who reminded him that Council could not go into Closed Session even though historically this is what has been done up until a few years ago; and WHEREAS, Council Member Saunders nominated William D. Jones for the office of Mayor of the City of Salem; Acting Chair Taliaferro noted we have a motion for Mayor, is there a second; Council Member Jones seconded the motion; and WHEREAS, Acting Chair Taliaferro asked if there were any other nominations for Mayor; and WHEREAS, Council Member Foley noted that it has been an honor and privilege to serve as Mayor of the City of Salem for the last 12 years; he is proud of what we have accomplished despite the economy, the pandemic, leadership changes, and cutbacks at the federal and state level over the past dozen years; his colleagues interpret the results of last month’s election differently than he does; they conclude he no longer deserves the privilege of serving as Mayor of the city for the next two years; although disappointed in their opinion, he is honored to make the following motion; it is about time it is her time, and most importantly it is our time; and 3 WHEREAS, Council Member Foley nominated Renee F. Turk for the office of Mayor of the City of Salem; Council Member Wallace seconded the motion; and WHEREAS, Acting Chair Taliaferro noted that there are two motions on the table for the office of Mayor; he asked Mr. Yost if he could provide assistance in this matter; and WHEREAS, Mr. Yost noted under these circumstances in that we have two nominations for Mayor, he believes the best process is simply to call on each Council member to state the name of their preference, assuming there are no other nominations, and whoever gets three votes will be the new Mayor; and WHEREAS, Acting Chair Taliaferro asked if there were any further nominations for the office of Mayor, hearing none the nominations were closed; he asked if there was any other discussion, hearing none he asked the Deputy City Clerk to call the role -- the roll call vote being as follows: Renee F. Turk – Mrs. Turk, James W. Wallace, III – Mrs. Turk, John E. Saunders – Mr. Jones, William D. Jones – Mr. Jones, and Byron Randolph Foley – Mrs. Turk. WHEREAS, Acting Chair Taliaferro stated Mrs. Turk is the new Mayor; and THEREUPON, the Honorable J. Christopher Clemens administered the Oath of Office required by law to Renee F. Turk for the office of Mayor, and the same will be filed by the City. WHEREAS, Mayor Turk assumed the duties of the presiding officer and requested nominations for the office of Vice Mayor; and WHEREAS, Councilman Foley nominated James W. Wallace, III, for the office of Vice Mayor of the City of Salem; and ON MOTION MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER FOLEY, SECONDED BY MAYOR TURK, AND DULY CARRIED, nominations were closed for the office of Vice Mayor of the City of Salem, and James W. Wallace, III, was hereby elected Vice Mayor of the City of Salem for a two-year term beginning July 1, 2020, and ending June 30, 2024 -- the roll call vote: all aye. 4 THEREUPON, the Honorable J. Christopher Clemens administered the Oath of Office required by law to James W. Wallace, III, for the office of Vice Mayor, and the same will be filed by the City. WHEREAS, Katherin Elam, Secretary of the City of Salem Electoral Board, presented framed Certificates of Election to William D. Jones, Renee F. Turk, and James W. Wallace, III, on behalf of the City of Salem Electoral Board and the City of Salem Registrar's Office. There being no further business to come before the Council, the same on motion adjourned at 9:17 a.m.