Cedar Fort Hires New Treasurer

  June 14, 2018, 1:39 pm

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Cedar Fort town officials approved Ashley Cook as the new Town Treasurer at the March 17 council meeting. Cook replaces former treasurer Autumn Blackner who resigned in February. Cedar Fort Mayor David Gustin said that he and Town Councilman Richard Stark had interviewed Cook and found that her qualifications would be an excellent fit for the position. Before taking a vote on the appointment, Gustin allowed the rest of the Town Council to ask Cook questions.

In response to Councilwoman Ellen Cibula's question about Cook's experience in finances, Cook responded that she had worked as a financial broker for four years. She has also managed the books for a local business, Cedar Valley Net, for two-and-a-half years.

Mayor Gustin outlined the duties of the Town Treasurer which include handling the Town's financial transactions and submitting quarterly reports to the state. Mayor Gustin and three council members voted unanimously to hire Ashley Cook as Cedar Fort Town Treasurer. Councilman Wyatt Cook abstained from the vote because of personal interest, since he is Ashley Cook's husband.

With a divided vote, the Town Council appointed Christopher Whiting as an alternate member of the Planning and Zoning Commission. Two candidates applied for the position, Whiting and Clay Sorenson. Mayor Gustin and several Council members asked Sorenson questions. Whiting was not in attendance at the meeting.

Council members Harry Draper and Wyatt Cook voted in favor of a motion to appoint Sorenson as a Planning and Zoning alternate. The motion failed. A second motion to appoint Whiting as the new Planning and Zoning Commission alternate carried with Mayor Gustin and Council members Stark and Cibula voting in favor of Whiting. Whiting and his family have lived in Cedar Fort for four years. He operates a home business in town.

Councilman Draper asked if anything could be done about reducing the noise from truckers using "jake brakes" along SR73 as they come into town. Councilwoman Cibula said that the Town already has a noise ordinance and engine brake restriction signs in place. Town resident and truck driver Tom Peterson suggested that town officials call the trucking companies to make them aware of the problem and request that the drivers police themselves. Mayor Gustin said that he would make some calls.

Town Recorder Cara Lyon reported that she volunteered for several Saturday mornings along with Lynda Norris, Vonda Cook, Julie Sorenson, Charlynn Anderson and Cemetery Sexton Howard Anderson, working on generating a single, accurate cemetery map from multiple conflicting maps. Sexton Anderson commented that the group has already put in about 50 volunteer hours. They are about half-way finished with the map project.

Mayor Gustin thanked volunteers for their efforts. He commended Town Clerk/Recorder Cara Lyon for putting in so many volunteer hours in addition to her demanding town job. Gustin thanked Councilwoman Cibula for her efforts on updating the building permit checklist. He also thanked Autumn Blackner for her hard work as the former Town Treasurer.  

In the future, the Cedar Fort Town Council will meet on the second Thursday of each month at 6:00 p.m. Gustin said that was the only day and time that worked for all the town officials.