Monday’s New Haven Board of Aldermen meeting included the swearing in of two new aldermen: Brenda Menke and Brad Zobrist.
In the April 5 election, Menke defeated incumbent Tim Otten by a margin of 125 to 67 votes, earning her the position of Ward 1 alderman. Zobrist was unopposed, so will now assume the Ward 2 seat.
Otten and outgoing Ward 2 Alderman Steve Miller said their goodbyes to now-former colleagues, and congratulated their successors.
“I sent Brenda a private message, but I want to publicly congratulate you,” Otten said. “And I look forward to having you as my representative in the coming years.”
Mayor George Panhorst provided Otten and Miller with plaques of appreciation.
“Tim Otten has always been a good alderman, but he’s also been a good friend,” Panhorst said. “I know all the bitterness that was out there, and things like that. I heard it all, but I’ll tell you that there’s nobody in this town that had the heart of the city more than Tim Otten had. He gives you the information you need. He puts it out there. Maybe you didn’t like it, but it’s always the truth and I appreciate everything you did for the city, Tim. I feel like I’m losing a true friend.”
After certifying the election results, City Clerk Melissa Bergner swore in Menke and Zobrist.
“I should welcome the newest members,” Panhorst said.
In Menke and Zobrist’s first meeting, the Board of Aldermen:
• Assigned committees to the new members. Menke will serve on the finance committee, taking Otten’s previous seat, the streets committee and the natural gas commission. Zobrist will serve on the water and sewer committee and electricity and light committee. Ward 1 Alderman Jason Addison will move onto the Planning and Zoning Commission to take the seat Miller vacated.
• Decided to allow Lance Stroheker, who has organized a river clean-up group, to dump trash he collects by the Missouri River in city dumpsters.
• Decided the protocol for how they would allow residents to shoot fireworks on New Year’s and Independence Day. In years past, the board passed a resolution each year that suspended the ban on firework within city limits for those holidays. City Administrator Kathy Trentmann asked the board members whether they wanted to continue that practice or pass an ordinance that makes fireworks permanently legal on those two dates. After a discussion, the aldermen decided that future board members should make those decisions themselves and decided to continue their current practice.
