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Leesville council swears in Amanda Westmoreland as police chief; approves permits and postpones CDBG item
Summary
At its Jan. 12 meeting, the Leesville City Council performed the oath for newly appointed Police Chief Amanda Westmoreland, approved a Class A alcohol permit for the municipal golf course and a Mardi Gras parade permit, and voted to postpone a CDBG-related item pending further review of a local ordinance.
The Leesville City Council met Jan. 12, 2026, at 3:03 p.m. at City Hall and swore in Amanda Westmoreland as the city’s new police chief. Mayor Rick Allen performed the oath of office for Westmoreland; the council concurrently adopted a measure recorded in the minutes as Resolution 1 of 2026 to formalize the action. Councilmember Guess moved the resolution and Councilmember Kennedy seconded; the minutes state the motion passed with no public comments.
The council addressed several routine governance items. Councilmember Prewitt moved to adopt the minutes of Dec. 22, 2025; Councilmember Robertson seconded and the motion passed. Councilmember Robertson moved to approve the monthly bills; Councilmember Guess seconded and the motion passed. The meeting record does not provide roll-call tallies for these routine motions.
Councilmembers approved a Class A alcohol permit application for the City of Leesville Municipal Golf Course at 331 Country Club Road. The minutes state the permit was adopted as "Resolution 3 of 2026," moved by Councilmember Guess and seconded by Councilmember Hunt; the motion passed with no public comments. The same minutes also record that Councilmember Hunt moved to postpone an item tied to CDBG Disaster Recovery Program invoices and that the postponement was recorded as "Resolution 3 of 2026." Because the minutes use the same resolution number for both a postponement and an adoption, the record is inconsistent; the council’s official minutes should be consulted for the authoritative resolution numbering.
The council also approved an event permit submitted by the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce for the 2026 Mardi Gras Parade scheduled for Feb. 14, 2026. The minutes state the event permit was approved; a specific mover/second for that item is not clearly identified in the text.
Mayor Allen requested postponement of an item listed in the agenda as item 9B so staff could further investigate the local ordinance related to payments tied to the CDBG Disaster Recovery Program. Councilmember Hunt moved to postpone that agenda item; Councilmember Prewitt seconded. The minutes record a roll-call vote on the postponement: Robertson yes, Kennedy yes, Ybarra absent, Prewitt yes, Guess yes, Hunt yes and Mayor Allen yes.
The meeting concluded with routine administration items and adjournment at 3:31 p.m. Councilmember Robertson moved to adjourn; Councilmember Hunt seconded.
Why it matters: The oath and formal adoption of a police chief mark a personnel change with ongoing operational implications for the police department. Approvals of liquor and event permits affect local businesses and community events, while the council’s decision to postpone the CDBG-related item signals the need for further legal or administrative review before the city will authorize payments from the General Fund.
