Oakley mayor, new council member sworn in; council adopts 7 p.m. meeting schedule

Stephen M. Wilmeth was sworn in as mayor and Amy Reagan took the oath as a newly elected council member during Oakley City Council's organizational meeting, City Recorder Amy Reidalch said at the start of the session. After the oaths, Wilmeth assumed the chair and opened the meeting.

The council quickly moved through its consent calendar. An unidentified council member made a motion to approve minutes, payables and the holiday schedule; the motion was seconded and the council voted in favor, approving the consent calendar.

Wilmeth announced he would retain Councilman Joe Frazier as mayor pro tempore through 2026 and implement a one-year rotating schedule so multiple members can preside during future meetings. The council expressed general agreement with the plan.

The council then discussed the 2026 meeting schedule and start time. City Recorder Amy Reidalch outlined scheduling constraints tied to state budget deadlines and historical practice; members debated a 6 p.m. versus 7 p.m. start. A motion to accept the posted meeting schedule with meetings beginning at 7:00 p.m. was made, seconded and adopted by the council.

Closing the formal items, Wilmeth thanked residents and noted a light agenda for the first meeting; the council subsequently moved to address other business and planned a closed session later in the evening.

The council did not announce any changes to the approved meeting calendar's statutory requirements and did not finalize a published amendment schedule beyond the adopted 7:00 p.m. start time.