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Changing of the guard at Forest Hills

By Rose Hooper
With more shuffling of positions than a Saturday night square dance, the Village of Forest Hills ended up with an all-male board, three replacements on the planning board, a new zoning administrator and a new EDC appointment.

No sooner was he sworn in as the new mayor Monday than Jim Davis resigned his position on the planning board. On his heels, Joe Rossano also resigned from the planning board, asking to be replaced by John Adams. Rossano proposed that Steve Owens be removed from the planning board "effective immediately" because of his inability to attend meetings.

Then the village's representative to the county's Economic Development Commission, Ron Stephens, resigned his position and recommended that former mayor Irene Hooper replace him. Jean Adams resigned as the village's zoning administrator, effective Dec. 10, and suggested Dick Iobst as her replacement.

All actions were approved by the new board that was sworn in Dec. 3 by Jackson County Assistant Clerk of Court Ann Melton.

Following the board meeting, Davis opened a public hearing on adding two members from the extra-territorial jurisdiction to the planning board. The ordinance amendment came following the council's recent passage of the "ridgetop-to-ridgetop" ETJ.

When the amendment passed, Hooper suggested that Gary Wright and Michael Germano, who both live in the ETJ, serve on the planning board. Those names, along with Adams, will be submitted to the Jackson County Board of Commissioners for approval.

Forest Hills Christmas party will be Friday, Dec. 21, from 7-9:30 p.m. at the University Inn. Everyone attending is asked to bring a tray of finger foods. An outdoor decoration contest will take place earlier that evening.

Back to Archive: 12/06/01.