FORKS — Former City Council member Bryon Monohon, sworn in Monday as the new mayor of Forks, has no sweeping changes in mind.
“There are just a few minor things I want to change,” he said Thursday, as he looked ahead to his first Forks City Council meeting as mayor on Jan. 11.
The first day of his four-year term in office is considered to be today.
“I’d like to shorten the City Council meetings, if possible, and work on rearranging the order we do things in during the meeting,” Monohon said.
“I’d also like to implement a more balanced way of hearing staff reports, so everyone talks about the same amount of time.”
Monohon, 46, also said he would strive to communicate with the public.
“I want to make sure that people’s phone calls get returned, and concerns are addressed,” he said.
Monohon, who was elected in the Nov. 3 general election race against local business owner Joe Soha, said he has been working for several weeks with outgoing Mayor Nedra Reed, who did not run for election to a third term, to make the transition smooth.
“We’ve had some transition time, and I think on Tuesday, I’ll sit down and talk with the staff, and hopefully this weekend is slow,” said Monohon, a mental health case manager for Forks Community Hospital’s West End Outreach Services who served six years on the Forks City Council.
Also taking the oath of office at Monday’s Forks City Council meeting were re-elected incumbent Bruce Guckenberg, newly elected council member John Hillcar, and Mike Breidenbach and Gus Wallerstedt, appointees who were elected to their seats in the general election.
Reed and retiring council woman Pat Mansfield were presented with plaques.
Forks has a “strong-mayor” form of government, which means the mayor acts as the city manager and has hiring and firing power. The position is an unpaid, volunteer post and is considered to be a part-time role.
The new mayor is taking letters of interest from those who wish to be appointed to his former position as a council member through next Thursday, he said, adding that he will have no say as to who replaces him.
“That is completely a council decision,” he said.
An appointee is expected to be chosen at the Jan. 11 council meeting.
Monohon wasn’t quite sure what his schedule would be.
“I know it will be something to juggle all of this,” he said. “It will also be an adjustment for staff to work with a mayor who has a 40-hour-a-week job.
“Because she was retired, Nedra could dedicate a huge amount of time to this, so it will be an adjustment for me to be a mayor and also be working.”
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
