Geneva readies for 2017

GENEVA — The calendar has yet to turn to 2017, but the town is ready for next year.

Geneva Town Council on Thursday elected its officers and approved appointments for town boards and posts for next year.

Leadership on town council will stay the same in 2017, with Dick Clutter and Jim Timmons remaining council president and vice president.

There were few adjustments to town boards and positions. Changes include new leadership at the town’s volunteer fire department. Gabe Schwartz will serve as chief, replacing John Patch.

Patch will remain with the department but told council at its meeting earlier this month he was stepping down as chief after seven years in the job.

Serving as assistant chiefs for the fire department will be Tony Lothridge and Mark Schoch.

Rob Johnson was appointed to the newly created position of workforce manager. Council also reappointed him as town marshal.

Russ Flueckiger was reappointed to another term on the Geneva Park Board and Eleanor Morris will serve another term on Geneva Board of Zoning Appeals.

Jim Fosnaugh will remain on Geneva Plan Commission, with Tammy Hodle filling an open spot. Both are appointed by the Adams County Commissioners and their terms will expire at the end of 2020.

Meanwhile, Seth Prince and Tyler Ritter-Butz were sworn in as the town’s two new deputy marshals. Luke, Geneva’s K-9, was also sworn in as well as clerk-treasurer Jane Kaverman and Clutter to another term on council. Kaverman and Clutter were reelected to their positions in November’s general election. Both ran unopposed.

In other business, council members Timmons, Clutter and Agnes Schoch:

•Opened a bid for town’s the trash service, which expires Jan. 31. The only bid came from Republic Services, the town’s current provider. The three-year bid calls for prices of $10.98 per month in the first year, $11.36 per month in year two and $11.76 per month in the contract’s final year. With costs for heavy trash pickup included, a representative from Republic Services said the cost per month for the first year of the contract would total $11.31 per month. Households currently pay $7.88 per month for trash service, Kaverman said. Council took the bid under advisement and tabled a decision until its Jan. 10 meeting.

•Approved the town’s 2017 holiday calendar and council meetings schedule. Council will continue to meet on the second Tuesday of each month and meetings will begin at 6:30 p.m.

•Ok’d appropriation transfers and a resolution to transfer monies within the motor vehicle highway fund to cover a shortage.

•Approved a contract with Adams County Solid Waste District.