Electric City chooses new clerk, council member

The Electric City council voted in a new city clerk/administrator, as well as a new council member, at their meeting Tuesday night.

Peggy Nevsimal was chosen out of four candidates as the new city clerk/administrator following an executive session at the meeting.

Nevsimal, who is currently the executive director at the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce, was absent from the meeting.

"At this time we feel that Peggy would be a great asset to the city of Electric City," Mayor Diane Kohout said.

Nevsimal was approved by three votes from the council, with Councilmember Cheryl Hoffman recusing herself because of her friendship with Nevsimal.

The position was vacant after former City Clerk/Administrator Russ Powers resigned from the position in January.

Powers was said by the newly elected council members and mayor during their campaign for election last year to be largely behind controversial decisions in the city, including street projects, a new park project, and the firing of Fire Chief Mark Payne, who has since been reinstated.

Nevsimal could not be reached for comment.

Additionally, Willy Bott was chosen out of three candidates to fill City Council Position #1 for a term that runs to the end of 2021.

Bott was approved unanimously.

That seat was vacated in January when Aaron Derr, who had served on the council since 2014, resigned from the position, citing personal reasons in his resignation letter. He was the lone remaining member of the former council.

Bott cited past council experience and his longtime familiarity with the area as qualifications, saying he has "surveyed every place in town."