Council must appoint mayor

No one in Odessa has filed to run for mayor in the November election. So what happens now? Councilwoman Lois Hubbard went to the Lincoln County Auditor’s office for the answer. Since no one filed for the office in either the initial filing period or the special additional filing period, the office will not even be on the November ballot. Therefore, there is also no possibility for a write-in candidate to be elected.

Once current mayor Doug Plinski has concluded his final day as mayor on December 31, 2015, it will be up to the town council to appoint a new mayor to take over the job beginning in January 2016. It will up to council members to find a candidate willing to serve. The Odessa Town Council met Monday to approve the acceptance of a load of asphalt from several Odessa citizens who live on the south hill above the athletic fields and the golf course. Former councilman Lynn Schmidt had contacted area homeowners to see whether there was interest in contributing to repairs to Fairway Street, which has severe problems with potholes and cracks. Homeowners contributed enough for the purchase of a load of asphalt which will be applied by the town’s public works crew.

Odessa police chief Helen Coubra reported that her department will organize the local version of National Night Out on August 4 at 6:30 p.m. at Reiman Park, with hot dogs, sausage and hamburgers provided by the police department and side dishes provided potluck-style by those attending the event. Darren Summers of Voise Sausage volunteered to donate 30 pounds of hot dogs and sausage to the event. The pool schedule for the evening has also been adapted to allow swimming after the event.

Coubra said several citizens have requested a bicycle safety course, which she will try to organize for next year. That will give her time to apply for grants or find sponsors for the event.

Public works director Rod Webster reported several falls at the pool so far this summer on a new surface that was supposed to prevent such occurrences. The town crew and several local volunteers closed down the pool on a recent Friday evening and applied another coat which appears to have eliminated the problem.

Webster also said that he and councilwoman Lois Hubbard were looking into energy grants that could help the town with the cost of operating the aquatic center, as well as some of the town’s other properties such as the Old Town Hall.