Thursday, the Hampton City Council on a 4-1 vote appointed Kristin Roode as the new Ward 1 councilmember. Jerre Grefe cast the lone no vote while Bill Hodge was absent from the meeting. Roode will begin her duties effective July 1st with her first meeting being the July 7th workshop.
In other business, the Hampton City Council discussed the second reading of an ordinance, amending chapter 56 on dangerous and vicious animals. Councilmember Bill Holmstrom, who attended the meeting electronically, expressed his concerns on the ordinance amendment and stated the original ordinance doesn’t have to change.
“The incident that actually brought this up had nothing to do with the failure of the original dog ordinance, which has been on file since 2017. But it was in fact a failure of enforcing our current ordinances. I want to be clear. I am in no way insinuating that our current police force has failed in its duties of enforcement, but I am stating that we must, if our city is to prosper to do a better job, a more efficient job of educating our citizens of current ordinances, why they are important and how they are going to begin to enforce them.”
The council then approved the second reading of the ordinance amendment on a 4-1 vote with Holmstrom casting the lone no vote.
During his council report, Pat Palmer stated he would not seek reelection for his at-large seat this year. There will be five seats up for reelection on the Hampton City Council in November as well as Mayor Steve Birdsall’s seat.
Full minutes below;
Hampton council minutes from 6-12
