Marco

Marco

ELKINS — Newly elected Mayor Jerry Marco has created a new task force to deal with drug addiction and homelessness in the City of Elkins.

The Addiction and Homeless Resources Task Force will include one Elkins City Council member, Elkins Police Chief Travis Bennett and Randolph County Sheriff Rob Elbon. The Task Force will also include at least four citizen members.

Marco said Task Force members will “seek and share information about available strategies and resources, as well as identifying and advocating for needed new resources” in the areas of “addiction and homelessness prevention and response,” according to a city press release, which also states, “This body will also look for opportunities to reduce duplication of efforts.”

Marco has also created a new Collaboration and Marketing Committee, which will aim to “further strengthen lines of communication between city officials and other agencies, organizations, and stakeholders in the Elkins community,” the release reads. “Committee members will be charged with reducing duplication of efforts and increasing collaboration communitywide toward a goal of making Elkins even more appealing and attractive to new residents and businesses.”

Four council members have been appointed to this committee: Second Ward’s Charlie Friddle, Fourth Ward’s Nanci Bross-Fregonara, Third Ward’s Clint Higgins and Fifth Ward’s Linda Vest.

The updated city charter approved by council last year grants Elkins mayors the authority to “establish and appoint members of ad hoc committees,” the release states.

The new charter also gives mayors the ability to decide the membership of council’s standing committees, and Marco has made changes to the membership of the five previously existing committees.

The Finance Committee chair is now Second Ward’s Mike Hinchman, replacing Friddle. The other two members of the committee are now First Ward’s Rob Chenoweth and Third Ward’s Chris Lowther.

The Rules & Ordinances Committee is now chaired by Bross-Fregonara, replacing Vest. Third Ward’s Clint Higgins and Fourth Ward’s Marilynn Cuonzo are now the other two members of the committee.

Cuonzo remains the Municipal Properties Committee chair, joined on the committee by Friddle and First Ward’s Judy Guye.

Fifth Ward’s Davis Parker remains the Public Safety Committee chair, with Guye and Hinchman as the other two members of the committee.

The Personnel Committee is now chaired by Chenoweth, replacing former Third Ward Councilman Carman Metheny. Chenoweth is joined on the committee by Vest and Lowther.

Of the 10 Elkins City Council members, five are now members of two committees — Hinchman, Chenoweth, Lowther, Cuonzo and Guye — while five are now members of just one committee — Friddle, Bross-Fregonara, Higgins, Parker and Vest.