APPLE VALLEY— The Apple Valley Town Council appointed William Dale Beddo as a new council member Wednesday night following the recent resignation of Denny Bass.
The reasoning behind Bass’s resignation is not yet clear and was a topic brought up by some of the seven applicants who spoke to the council and the audience, addressing why they were the right person for the job. There were eight total applicants, but one was absent from the meeting.
Rapid growth, roads and ordinance were also some of the main issues addressed by the candidates as well as a passion to serve the community. One of the applicants, Andy McGinnis, a volunteer firefighter, said he had the opportunity to interact with the residents and wanted to help create a secure future for the expected growth.
“I fear the fellow applicants and I are wasting our time,” he said. “Rumor has it a member has already been handpicked by certain members of this council weeks ago.”
One of the applicants, Margaret Ososki, who has been an applicant multiple times for the council and planning commission, said when these openings occur, it makes their town look bad.
“I have been called a bully by one of the Town Council members,” she said, in reference to situations when she felt like something was being pushed through. “Was it bullying or just persuasion? In my case, it’s bullying. In his case, it’s persuasion.”
Ososki said she wanted to be a voice for the people who live on dirt roads, especially those that need to be fixed.
During Beddo’s speech, he said he wished there was a way to take 20% of each of the candidates and mold them into one.
“There are some fantastic ideas and some fantastic viewpoints,” he said.
One of the biggest things that stood out to Beddo about Apple Valley is the diversity of residents. He also talked about his experience “working on the other side of the table” as a member of the planning commission to help approve development plans.
“Attitude affects leadership,” he said. “I’ve been in the development business, primarily the golf course building business, my entire life — a second generation of that. I’ve served as the planning commission chairman prior to and a member of the planning commission.”
He mentioned responsible government and listening to residents as crucial elements for planning for the future growth of the town.
Blackhawk Walters, who has been the chairman for the Republican Party in Apple Valley, talked about his history in the town and how he even helped build the building they were all sitting in as well as secure a fire truck when the town was in need.
With the first round of votes, all members and the mayor voted for Beddo except for council member Debbie Kopp, who voted for Walters. On a second round of votes, they all stayed the same, securing Beddo as the new councilman.
After the vote, several people walked out.
Lisonbee invited Beddo to take a seat with the council. But before taking a seat, Beddo addressed those who walked out, saying that those were the people whose trust he hoped to earn.
“They’re my people. They’re the people I need to go win over and earn their respect and earn their trust and that will be my goal,” Beddo said. “I apologize I don’t have all that respect.”
The agenda item immediately following Beddo’s swearing-in was the appointment of mayor pro tempore.
“Going through this process, it just reminded me that we don’t have one,” Lisonbee said.
After some discussion, the mayor made a motion to appoint Beddo as pro tem, in which all council members voted in favor of except for Kopp.
St. George News reached out to Kopp to find out why she voted ‘no’ but had not yet heard back at the time of this report.
Richard Ososki, Margaret Ososki’s husband, was recently let go as the town’s code enforcer and was one of the people who walked out of the meeting. He told St. George News he was concerned with the council’s pick.
“There’s a lot behind the scenes, like with all small towns, and who they picked has shocked a few of us,” he said. “The rumor is Marty (Lisonbee) is quitting, and Dale Beddo was put in there as the ringer. And he does have the experience, but he also has a history behind him, like with the Kokopelli Golf Course.”
Ososki said Beddo had to resign from the planning commission years ago.
When St. George News asked if the mayor planned to resign, he said “not today.”
While Ososki emphasized that it was still just a rumor that the mayor was resigning, he felt pretty certain that Beddo will be the next mayor.
“There’s just a bunch of rubber stamp people up there now,” he said.
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