Paul Grittendu sworn in as Soda Springs mayor; council nominates Larson, moves to appoint city services director

Paul Grittendu was sworn in as mayor of Soda Springs during the council's organizational meeting, taking the oath to “support the Constitution of the United States and the constitution of the state of Idaho” and to “faithfully discharge the duties of mayor.” He told the council he would “do my very best to take care of the city, constantly looking for ways to prosper and promote our city,” and asked for the body's cooperation as the new term begins.

The mayor nominated Daniel Larson to fill a vacant council seat. Councilors moved and seconded the nomination but noted the meeting did not have a quorum, so the body treated the action as symbolic; the council said it will ratify Larson’s appointment at the next meeting when a quorum is present. Mayor Grittendu asked the council to defer selecting a council president until that later meeting as well.

On personnel matters, the mayor announced his intention to nominate Dan Squires as director of city services. A motion to accept Squires’ nomination was made and seconded and approved by voice vote; councilors indicated the appointment would be formally ratified or memorialized at the next regular meeting. The council also completed routine business: it approved the minutes dated Dec. 17, 2025, and accepted payables and payroll for December by voice vote; the transcript records affirmations of “Aye” but does not show a roll-call tally.

The meeting included a formal oath for Police Chief CJ Golightly earlier in the agenda; Golightly affirmed the law enforcement code of ethics and pledged to support the constitutions and laws governing the community.

Next steps: the council will ratify the Larson nomination and complete any formal documentation or signatures at the next meeting with a quorum.