Council closes year out with farewells to two members

Dec. 20—FAIRMONT — Fairmont City Council bid farewell to two members Tuesday night while also delivering City Manager Travis Blosser’s report card for the first six months in office.

Council members Gia Deasy and Rick Garcia received heartfelt remarks from their colleagues. Garcia heads to the West Virginia House of Delegates, which precludes another term on council. Deasy meanwhile lost her reelection bid to Daniel K. Weber, a retired Fairmont State University fine arts professor.

“I leave this position reluctantly as many of you know, I did seek re-election,” Deasy said to her fellow council members. “However, I know I leave this position in the great hands of my fellow council members and those who are newly elected.”

Council member Julie Sole thanked Deasy for her work on council, saying both she and Garcia were involved at the Disability Action Center. Sole is the center’s executive director. Sole credited both Deasy and Garcia for supporting her stepping up to City Council. Deasy and Garcia were both one-term councilors, elected in 2020.

City Manager Travis Blosser said he looked forward to working with Garcia from a different angle. Garcia will now represent the Fairmont area in the state legislature. He also expects to work Dwith easy in other capacities; Deasy will continue to be involved in different community organizations across the city.

Mayor Anne Bolyard also bid farewell to her colleagues.

“As mayor, Rick has always been very approachable in his community,” Bolyard said. “Always a friend, always helpful. Gia has been a mentor to me. I would not be on council, she’s the one who encouraged me to run in 2020. Gia’s dedication and unfailing commitment to everything she does is an example to me.”

Bolyard said working with the two new councilors, Weber and Anthony Horton, will be exciting because of the new perspective both will bring to their work. Bolyard added she welcomes diverse new ideas and looks forward to seeing how everyone’s work styles mix once the new council seats in January.

Bolyard also singled out City Clerk Janet Keller for praise. Bolyard said Keller will enter her 46th year of service to the City of Fairmont in 2025. Bolyard joked Keller has called the council members the “nine children you never expected,” and thanked her for her dedication to the City. Keller has not just served as City Clerk, but also as City Manager twice when the City was in the midst of its hiring process.

Council also approved a resolution favorably grading Blosser’s first six months as City Manager. On a matrix provided with the resolution, Blosser scored highly on 10 items, with a final score of 4.68 out of 5. Among the things Blosser was graded for were policy execution, citizen relations, staffing and fiscal management.

“He has increased productivity, resulted in savings and greatly enhanced the operations of city government,” Bolyard said. “We are very pleased with his progress so far and look forward to what he will accomplish in the years to come.”

Reach Esteban at efernandez@timeswv.com

EMEA Tribune is not involved in this news article, it is taken from our partners and or from the News Agencies. Copyright and Credit go to the News Agencies, email news@emeatribune.com Follow our WhatsApp verified Channel