By Ali Moreland
On Monday, January 5, the Vernon City Council held a special meeting and subsequent workshop to swear in new members, interview candidates for public works positions, and discuss city issues including animal control and trash dumping.
During the special meeting, Tina Sloan and Frank Zurica were sworn in to city council seats by City Attorney Michelle Jordan.
“I always knew that one day I would step back in, and I felt like now was the time,” Sloan told Washington County News in an interview. She continued, “now is the perfect opportunity to step forward into our future.”
Zurica said he wanted to serve in “hopes to bring about the change the council needs to have improvements for the city and help Vernon reach its full potential.”
Sloan and Zurica will each hold their seats until the March election.
Newly appointed City Council member Tina Sloan (pictured left) takes her oath of office administered by City Attorney Michelle Jordan (right), with Pastor Cody Boyett from Holmes Valley Community Church holding the Bible during the ceremony. [ALI MORELAND | THE NEWS] 
Newly appointed City Council member Frank Zurica (pictured left) takes his oath of office administered by City Attorney Michelle Jordan (right). [ALI MORELAND | THE NEWS]
The council also conducted interviews with candidates for the city’s open public works positions.
Additional discussion of the public works vacancies was moved to the workshop portion of the meeting, and no decision was made regarding public works hirings. Sloan expressed the urgent need to fill these vacant positions, stating, “We need to make a decision that day though,” referring to the council’s January 20 regular meeting, when the issue will return to the agenda.
Also during the workshop, the council discussed city issues, including animal control and trash dumping. Recreation director Nikki Gothard noted that the city currently has no formal animal control program, though a community member has offered to assist on an as-needed basis. The council agreed to continue discussion of animal control at the January 20 meeting. Regarding trash dumping, the council was informed of an increase in garbage, including animal carcasses and household trash, taking place on the south end of Church Street in Vernon. The council approved purchasing and installing “No Dumping” signs to address the problem.
The next meeting for Vernon City Council is scheduled for January 20, when both the public works positions and animal control issues will be revisited.
Staff Report 
AMBER PATINO 
SKYLA CARTER