Lancaster City Council appoints Corey Schoonover president pro-tem, names Anitra Scott council clerk

Lancaster City Council on Jan. 5 approved a slate of personnel appointments and outlined a plan to finalize committee assignments ahead of the next council meeting.

Corey Schoonover was appointed president pro-tem after a motion by Mr. Bizjak and a second from Mr. Sollie; the motion carried after no discussion. The council then approved the appointment of Anitra Scott as council clerk, following a motion by Mr. Bizjak and a second from Mr. Schoonover, and later approved Becky Tener as a backup council clerk on a motion by Mr. Schoonover and a second from Mr. Bizjak. The transcript records that each motion "carried" but does not provide roll-call tallies.

President Porter, who led the meeting, said that while council "normally does not appoint a back for the clerk," having a backup "in the case of an absence, emergency or a vacation" would be prudent. He urged council members to "dig in" and take their committee responsibilities seriously.

President Pro-Tem designee Corey Schoonover asked returning council members to state whether they wish to remain on their current committees or be reassigned, and said his goal is to finalize the committee roster ahead of Monday's council meeting so assignments are ready for collective discussion. Schoonover also reminded the body that prior legislation to restructure the committee system had failed, so the committees will remain as in the prior year; with ten members and nine standing committees, he noted some assignments may require a chair and a co-chair to accommodate all members.

There were no requests for an executive session. Mr. Bizjak moved to adjourn; Mr. Knisley seconded, and the meeting adjourned at approximately 6:07 p.m.

The appointments and committee-roster planning were the primary actions recorded; no additional motions, vote counts or formal amendments were recorded in the transcript.