Byrnes Mill Ward 1 Alderperson Bob Prado has stepped down from the board and Terry Keehn has been appointed to fill the vacancy.
Prado, who first was elected to the board in 2011 and reelected in April, resigned by email earlier this month.
He said he resigned due to work commitments. He said he works as a telecommunications engineer and travels a lot with his job. He also said he will be traveling more and missing meetings, which he felt would be unfair to the board and residents.
“It was an extremely hard (decision),” Prado said. “I have invested north of eight years in this.”
Prado said he is proud of the work he has done while serving on the board, including improvements to the Public Works Department and the Police Department.
“I feel like I was a part of that,” he said.
Despite a small budget and staff, Public Works has always made sure the roads are clear and the park is clean, Prado said.
He also said Byrnes Mill has a large police presence.
City Administrator Debbie LaVenture said Mayor Robert Kiczenski announced Prado’s resignation at the Oct. 16 meeting and then recommended Keehn for the open seat. Then, the board voted 4-0 to appoint him. Prado and Ward 2 Alderperson Jerry Klipsch were absent from the meeting.
Prado said he will miss speaking with residents the most.
He also said he hopes his time off the board will be short, adding that he would like to rejoin the board at some point.
Kiczenski said Keehn will serve on the board until April 2020, when an election will be held to fill the unexpired one-year term.
Kiczenski said he nominated Keehn because he has been attending board meetings and has an interest in city government.
Kiczenski also said Keehn will be a “good fit” on the board.
Alderpersons do not receive pay for their service on the board, Prado said.