A seat at the table: Newly elected watch, wait for Monday

Published 1:52 pm Thursday, May 9, 2019

NEDERLAND — Newly elected City Council members sat in the citizen seats for the last time during a council meeting Wednesday.

Afterwards, Mayor-elect Don Albanese walked up to City Manager Chris Duque to get an update on the fire department’s new fire truck, which Duque had seen in person in Wisconsin. After being briefed, Albanese joined new councilmembers Sylvia Root and Emmett Hollier.

The special meeting was held so councilmembers could vote to change insurance coverage.

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The next City Council meeting will be Monday and the new members will take over. Each member will be sworn in and the meeting will proceed. Monday will be the first time the new councilmembers will make decisions and take votes on behalf of the city.

All three said they are eager to get going. Monday will be the first time for Hollier and Root to serve as councilmembers.

“We’re excited to take on our new roles,” Hollier said. “I can’t wait for Monday to get those first-day jitters out of the way. Just the election process was a big learning experience that you don’t think about.”

The new members said they have to meet with City Clerk Gay Ferguson to talk about required training.

Albanese is hoping, barring it does not break any Open Meetings Act requirements, he can meet with councilmembers to discuss how he would like to run meetings.

“We’re supposed to take pictures at 3 [p.m.] Monday,” he said. “We might be able to do it then, but they have to check and see.”

On the campaign trail, Albanese pledge to curb the growth of apartment complexes within the city.

“I will be getting with the council,” he said. “I want houses on them, not apartments. Apartments are nice for the first few years, but then it turns into a HUD or something like that. They get run down if the owners don’t keep them up. I’d rather have residential houses. We have enough apartments in Nederland.”

Albanese said he does not have any complaints about apartments currently in the city.

“We don’t want to end up in a town that has more apartments vs. homes,” Hollier added.

The next meeting will take place at 4:30 p.m. Monday at City Hall.