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Ripley mayor signals plan to shrink Power Board to three members, appoints self and two others
Summary
Mayor Pichon told the Ripley Power Board he will move to reconstitute the utility's governing board as a three-member independent board and said he will appoint himself, Dwight Beard and Randy White to staggered terms; the proposal will be presented for resolution at the city board meeting.
Mayor Pichon told the Ripley Power Board on June 1 that he intends to move the city's power utility back to a three-member independent board and will appoint himself plus two other members, a change he said will be proposed as a resolution at the next city board meeting.
The change matters because Pichon framed it as an effort to end long-standing friction between the city and Ripley Power & Light and to allow the utility to pursue planned projects. "The resolution for passage tonight at the board at the at the city board meeting provides for 1 independent power board as it was set up originally, which is a 3 member board with staggered terms," Pichon said, and added, "I will I have the authority and I will appoint myself for, under the category of the representative on the the power board. In addition, I'll appoint, mister Dwight Beard for the initial 2 year term and mister Randy White for a 4 year term as the, other 2 members of the board."
Pichon said the overhaul is intended to move the city past what he described as "20 years of antagonism" between the city and the utility and to support planned projects. He said he and "Mister Arnold" had recent discussions about the change and described those conversations as productive. The mayor also acknowledged limits on what officials could discuss before a formal vote, saying earlier agenda and legal constraints had limited conversation: "because of the sunshine and all that we can't talk about it. But this will give you just a little time to to, as I as I call it ruminate."
At least one commenter raised concerns about reducing board size and the experience of proposed appointees, saying, "So why you wanna be on the board with this company and then cut it down from a 3 member to apply members to 3 member and the new members know know nothing about power in life?" That speaker also argued Tyler (identified during the meeting as a planning commissioner) and others deserved board consideration. The meeting record shows the mayor planned to present a formal resolution at the next city board meeting rather than vote on appointments during the Power Board session.
The proposal as described would change the Power Board's composition and appoint staggered terms (an initial two-year term for Dwight Beard and a four-year term for Randy White). The city's next city board meeting will be the venue for the formal resolution and any vote.
Officials did not take a formal vote on the appointments or the board size during the Ripley Power Board meeting.
Background: Pichon said the three-member structure matches how the board was set up originally and framed the move as a fresh start for the utility and the city. Additional details about the resolution text and whether other nominations will be filed were not specified in the meeting record.
