The South Bend City Council met for their first meeting of 2016, missing two council members, Lisa Olsen and Karla Webber, as well as Chief Eastham. Sergeant Lucas Stigall was sitting in for Chief Eastham. Mayor Struck called the meeting to order and started with the Pledge of Allegiance. After the pledge Council Member Clarence Williams was sworn in by the Oath of Office, to begin serving another term as Council Position #2.
"I Clarence Williams do solemnly swear that I will support the constitution of the United States and the constitutional laws of the state of Washington and I will faithfully and impartially perform and discharge the duties of City Council Position #2 of the City of South Bend according to the law and the best of my ability," Williams recited.
Struck moved the meeting along by approving the minutes of the previous meeting, as well as the agenda for the current meeting. The next item on the agenda called for the council to select a 2016 Mayor Pro Tem.
"Council Member Hall has been doing this a number of years," said Struck, Council Member Williams then made a motion that Council Member Hall be the next Mayor Pro Tem. "I will say it's been nice, I try not to miss too many council meetings but when I do, Bob doesn't give me any flack about being gone."
The council next re-upped on their contract for professional services with City Prosecuting Attorney Will Penoyar, and they also re-upped on the Parks Caretaker agreement, the Custodial Services Agreements as well as the contract for legal services for Indigent Criminal Defendants.
It was time in the meeting for head of department reports, where Sergeant Lucas Stigall reported on behalf of Chief Eastham: "The police department in the last weekend have arrested one of our local registered sex offenders. He's been living here for quite a few years." Stigall went on to say, "the police department through investigation ended up having enough to arrest him. He's in the county jail on felony charges right now. That's about the extent of it."
The next South Bend City Council meeting will be held at 5:30pm at the city hall on Monday, January 25.