Council member Dustin Clay stepped down from the dais for new member Jason Lucas to take his place on the Providence Village Town Council.
Clay was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation by Mayor Linda Inman for his service during the Council meeting on Tuesday.
“On behalf of the town, I want to thank him for all he's done and the time he's devoted for Providence Village during his time on the Town Council, ' Mayor Linda Inman read. “We appreciate all of his contributions, and we look forward to the best for you and your family.”
Before stepping down from the dais, Clay thanked his fellow council members and constituents.
Jason Lucas took his oath of office and was welcomed before taking the Place 4 seat on the council.
Following formality, the council reelected Kelly Nelson as mayor pro tem and Jeff Doramus as deputy mayor pro tem.
In a 4-2 vote, the council voted to remove fellow council member Stephen Benton.
The issue was raised because the Town Charter says that if a council member has three consecutive unexcused absences or misses 25% of regular meetings in a 12-month period, a public hearing and other action must be taken.
Benton was given the opportunity to explain his absences to the council but wasn’t present. During the public hearing, Clay asked the council to table matters and give Benton the courtesy of responding.
Both Elise Jumbelick and Lucas voted to table the agenda item; however, it failed.
“The voters just told us that they wanted stronger rules about absences,” council member Klayton Rutherford said. “And actually, that ballot measure had more support than any other. It was over 95% of voters voted in favor of us strengthening our attendance rules. And I think it's a disservice to them if we say that we're going to turn away from that.”
Other council members agreed with his statement and expressed that it was not personal.
“I would never ask anybody to put this before their job and their career, but we do need people who can fill the seat and be here consistently,” Inman said.
With Place 2 now vacant, the council can appoint a new council member to complete Benton’s remaining term that expires in 2027, City Attorney Fritz Quast said.
“There's a new procedure very loosely in the charter as it was amended in May, and it just calls for application during the 14-day waiting period, but you have to fill the seat within 30 days,” Quast said.
Council discussed an ordinance to amend Chapter 12, 'Traffic and Vehicles,' by adding a division for electric bicycles and a fine.
Some of the requirements in the proposed ordinance include prohibiting headphones and earbuds, requiring riders and operators under the age of 16 to wear a helmet, and prohibiting anyone under the age of 15 on a class three E-bike, Town Manager Brian Roberson said.
During the discussion, the council suggested that the police department provide helmets to children who ride bikes without them, impose possible limitations on where E-bikes can be used, and create educational courses and materials.
“Sometimes it takes a village to accomplish things and to help kids who might not have a guardian who is there to be a watchful eye for them, and it's up to us to have the tools and the ability to do that,” Jumbelick said.
Council wanted more time to review the matter before taking any further action, so the item was tabled.
Earlier in the meeting, the mayor presented resident Lincoln Foster with the Spirit of Providence Village Award for exemplifying the Providence Village core values.
The idea for the award came up after Inman spotted him picking up trash after a bad storm and soon learned it is something he is known for doing in the community to help protect the animals.
“I hope that all of our residents follow your example,” Inman said. 'You are a true example of what it means to be a good citizen, so we appreciate you.'
Council approved amendments to the 2025-26 fiscal year budget, which will not impact the property tax rate.
Also at the meeting, the council voted against several sign variance requests from Quick Quack Car Wash.
“The rules were adopted for a reason,” Rutherford said. “We did just recently have a similar discussion about Valvoline signs, and we said no to extra signs to them, so I don’t see this being any different.”
