Chester council keeps executive session minutes private

Several participants at Monday's Chester city council meeting were under quarantine, and so the council met via Zoom again. All members of the council were present, along with Mayor Tom Page, Clerk Bethany Berner, Treasurer Nancy Eggemeyer, and City Attorney Jeff Kerkhover.

Kerkhover discussed the review of minutes of previous council executive sessions. He felt that due to the confidential nature of these meetings the council should not make any of these available to the public, and the council agreed.

A motion was then made concerning the review of the verbatim records of closed meetings and the council voted to destroy those records.

3rd Ward Alderman Robert Platt addressed the council concerning a failing retaining wall between St. John's Lutheran School and their Memorial Gym. He reported that the church trustees were in contact with several companies to repair it and that a final decision would be coming this month. The sidewalk has been blocked off on High Street due to the condition of the wall.

Since the council did not meet on Dec. 21, Platt presented a motion for two sets of bills to be paid; the first amounting to $90,172 and the second one through Jan. 4 in the amount of $31,926. He also reported that Evergreen Cemetery had only one transaction in December for $350.

Mayor Page explained that each year the Randolph County Board presents a multi-hazard mitigation plan update dealing with FEMA. Each incorporated area must review and adopt or reject the plan. The council approved the plan as presented.

The next council meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 19 due to the Martin Luther King holiday on the 18th.

Any member of the public may attend the Zoom city council meetings by telephone, computer or tablet. Call City Hall and ask for instructions. Public comment is permitted at every meeting.