Common Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the rescheduled meeting of the City of Charlestown Common Council. Today is June 3rd, 2026. It is 6.30 p.m. This meeting is being live streamed by Under Production Multimedia. If everyone could please join us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America,

Thank you, everyone. Tonight, our invocation will be done by Councilman Ronnie Williams.

Let us pray. Heavenly Father, Lord, we thank you, Lord, for another day you've given us. We thank you, Heavenly Father, for the blessings, Lord, that you've bestowed upon us. Dear God, we ask, Heavenly Father, for the wisdom. Lord, we ask that you be with us as we make decisions on behalf of Charlestown and its residents. Dear God, we ask this in your name we pray. Amen.

All right, roll call. Bo Bergstrom. Here. Ronnie Blevins. Here. Shannon Elder. Here. Brian Hester. Here. Chuck Deaton. Here. Let the record show, Mayor Hodges is present, as well as Park Treasurer Donna Hummer and City Attorney Terry McCall. Up first tonight, we have the approval of our agenda. It's been provided. Entertain a motion to approve. I'll make a motion. Motion by Ronnie Blevins. I'll second. Second by Shannon Elder. Any discussion? All in favor, say aye. Aye. I almost said, sorry guys. I know I just almost said it. Yeah, that was unanimous. All right. We have our standing business, which includes the minutes from May 11th, 2026, current claims, payroll allowance docket from May 4th to May 24th. I make a motion to approve. I make a motion. Motion by Ronnie Levins. Second. Second by Shannon Elder. Any questions on those items? Hearing none, all in favor say aye.

Aye.

Aye. That was unanimous. We had no one sign up for public comment tonight. Our legislative advisor is done for the year, for her career. I am looking at those. We did have a few applications, and I'm reviewing those this month. And so I'll make a decision on appointment. I'll let you guys know and meet them when we get that done. As far as my comments tonight, I just made Brian leave the poster for Founders Week. Just want to remind everybody that's coming up. We're kicking off the 13th with the... Pirate Dash 5K, there's still time to register for that. And notably, we're honoring the Revolutionary War veteran Major George Slaughter that day at noon. We're at the cemetery off the basketball court there at Spring Street. So that's going to be a great celebration. But the flyers are out, the information's on the website. Encourage everybody to look forward to those activities and events with Founders League. And that's all I had in my comments. Council comments?

Oh, no, just make sure everybody comes to the Founder's Day. It's going to be a really good event. We've got some good bands coming in. A lot of really great events there, so make sure everybody comes and attends.

Somebody asked me about the Main Street program the other day. I didn't know if we have any updates.

Yes, thank you. I went to that. I needed to talk to you guys about that anyway. So the Discover or the Develop Charlestown group has met and done their interviews and selected their members of the Main Street group. I have made my appointment which is Jill Duvall and you guys need to make an appointment as well. So if you guys want to throw out ideas to each other at some point and decide the council gets one appointment on that board to serve. Once you make that decision and you can identify that appointment, they will have a full board and then you're going to try to get them all together for one big final hurrah and let the Develop Charlestown folks officially transfer over the responsibilities to the Main Street group to move that process along. So I don't know if any of you have any ideas of who you would like to serve, but you can run that through your council president and take care of that as a caucus, okay? Okay, all right. Any other comments from council? Great, we have no public hearings, no old business training. The new business, we have two items, and the first item is kind of fun. So I am actually gonna read this down there, so bear with me, but we're recognizing a very special business tonight, so please just bear with me. If I could have Mary Lou and Jeff come forward. Mary Lou and Jeff, we're here tonight to recognize your contributions to the city of Charlestown. I have a proclamation written for you and I'll read that and then we want to take a big group picture with you to celebrate you. Whereas Stern's Barbecue got its official start in 2009 when owner Jeff Stern tried to duplicate his mother's sloppy joe recipe resulting in a delicious barbecue sauce. And whereas the Stern family believed their sauce should be sold because it was that good, And whereas local business owner Phil Caldwell of Hoopster Sports Bar and Grill asked for samples and served it at a Super Bowl gathering where it was much loved. And whereas with support of friends and family, the Stearns decided to start making barbecue sauce to sell at markets and festivals. With the first market being in their hometown of Charlestown at the weekly Saturday Charlestown pop-up market on the square. And whereas Stearns Barbecue partnered with their first pit master, local Charlestown business owner, Buddy Wixson of Bearded Barbecue. And whereas the Stearns have been blessed with love and support from family and friends and their barbecue business has grown. And whereas on August 9th, 2021, Stearns Barbecue LLC was established. And whereas over the last five years, Stearns Barbecue LLC has established business relationships with several retailers, local businesses, and pitmasters, and continues to participate in local and regional community events and festivals. I therefore now declare and officially acknowledge Stearns Barbecue on their fifth anniversary and declare Stern's barbecue sauce the official barbecue sauce for the city of Charlestown. I encourage everyone to celebrate with this hometown favorite. Congratulations, Mary Lynn. And we have challenge coins for both of you for your contribution. If I could please, if you'll indulge, if everybody will come down and let's get your picture with the Sterns, that would be great. You guys will go over in the middle there. We are so proud to have you here. And to see you on the shelves in the grocery store.

All right.

Congratulations. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Nick Smith just gave me a good recipe for using your barbecue sauce in deer roast, so I'm looking forward to doing that. Or at least telling my husband, because we don't know how to cook.

If you ever need any testimonials, I'm a stern guy. Thank you, thank you. All right.

Our only other item of business on tonight's agenda is Ordinance 2026-OR10, amending the salary ordinance. The Superboard heard information and presentation from our superintendent, Tim Crawford, As you know, with the new plant coming online and the growing responsibilities there, we knew that we were going to eventually have to start increasing staff out there to do a good job. And Tim has expressed the need to have administrative support. And so the sewer board heard that and is making the recommendation to the council that we amend the salary ordinance to create this position. So if you look at your salary ordinance, 2026 OR 10, on the second page at the top, you'll see a new line for administrative support with a maximum salary of $25.72 an hour. This position would provide administrative support to the managers and to the supervisors, but also provide lab tech support as well in the sense of running the labs, and so it's kind of multiple purpose administrative support. With that, that's the only change being presented on this ordinance, and I would entertain a motion to approve.

I make a motion.

Motion by Chuck Deaton. Second. Second by Shannon Elder. Any questions for me on that?

So this is just taking care of the sewer department and everything with that?

Yes. Processing all of the various requests, you know, making sure that the locate requests are being processed and just providing general administrative support, but also lab support, running the labs as necessary needed in the absence of the main lab staff. Okay. All right. With that, I'll call for the vote. All in favor, say aye. Aye. Any opposed? All right. That was unanimous. We can bring it back for second reading at the next meeting. I'll rush on that. All right. With that, unless there are any other updates from anyone, that is our agenda. So we just need a motion to adjourn. I'll make a motion to adjourn. Chuck Keaton makes the motion. Aye. Shannon Hiller seconds. All in favor say aye. Aye. That was unanimous.

We are adjourned. Don't forget to sign for Donna.