City Manager Jackie Gorman was approved for her position as the city’s top administrator.

By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter

                Williston City Council members Tuesday agreed to go forward with a modified Veterans Day ceremony on Nov. 11 using some social distancing and offering face masks and hand sanitizer to participants.

            Attendance will be strictly voluntary as is always the case. Anyone who doesn’t feel comfortable attending the ceremony due to COVID-19 concerns can choose to stay away.

            The Veterans Day ceremony will take place at Heritage Park. The ceremony generally begins in the Heritage Park Pavilion and moves to the Veterans Memorial for the formal ceremony.

            The council postponed returning to full council meetings and restarting Student of the Month ceremonies out of concern for packing the council chambers with people.

            The board will revisit the question of resuming fully occupied council meetings and Student of the Month awards ceremonies at the second council meeting in November.

            Mayor Jerry Robinson asked for the council’s advice on all three issues.

            Council members were in agreement that filling the council chambers with a packed house of relatives and friends of students of the month probably wasn’t a good idea for the time being.

             Robinson said when he originally cancelled the Student of the Month ceremonies at the start of the COVID-19 outbreak he mentioned restarting it at the first of the year.

            The question of going back to full council meetings hit the same snag. The council currently sets up the council chambers with 6 feet of distance between people in the audience. Councilwoman Debra Jones wasn’t comfortable with making changes at this time.

            “I feel comfortable the way it is,” she said.

            The council agreed.

            Hiring Gorman

            The council voted to hire City Planner Jackie Gorman as the new city manager and give her a one year employment contract.

            The board also voted to create the position of deputy city manager but will leave Gorman to write the job description. C.J. Zimoski, the utilities and public works director will serve a dual role as deputy city manager.

            Late Utility Bills

            Zimosk said the city’s utility bills will go out four days late due to problems out of the city’s control. The company that issues the bills was tardy. There will be no late charges.

            Handicapped Access

            Gorman said the city will soon install a button that will give residents in wheelchairs or with walkers the ability to open the front doors of City Hall without assistance.

            She said Zimoski has ordered the parts.

            Spotlight noticed the lack of a handicapped access button for the front doors and raised the issue with the city.

            The suggestion was made to install a pole equipped with an access button between the base of the flagpole and the doors. The doors would swing open long enough for the wheelchair occupant to go into City Hall.

            As it stands now, wheelchair users can’t open the front doors and people using walkers or crutches face enormous challenges opening the doors. The doors weren’t designed for handicapped people.

            City staff members generally have to help handicapped people get through the doors.

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City of Williston Regular Meeting October 6, 2020; Posted October 6, 2020