T-L Photo/JANELL HUNTER
Belmont Fiscal Officer Rick Burkhead, from left, Mayor Stanley Sobel and Solicitor T.J.Schultz discuss issues with members of Belmont Village Council and residents Thursday.

BELMONT — Mayor Stanley Sobel told Belmont Village Council and residents there will be four council seats up for re-election this fall, and that he will not re-appoint them.

Sobel had to appoint several members of the current council after the seats’ previous occupants resigned in January 2016.

“They need to run in an election, just like everybody else does. It’s called transparency to the public. … Jerry McCombs on the water board will have to run also, will not be re-appointed either. That is by statute, which had been violated several times in the past,” Sobel said.

Sobel certified the positions with the Belmont County Board of Elections on Monday.

In other business, council approved second readings of two pieces of legislation, one regarding the regulation of high grass and the other regulating junk and litter on property in the village.

The first reading of two new ordinances passed, one repealing an ordinance passed by the previous administration that banned recreational vehicles on properties, the other regulating “tiny homes” and mobile homes.

The first ordinance would allow residents to store motor homes on their property as long as no one is living in them. The second piece of new legislation would allow tiny homes and mobile homes in the village as long as the owner purchases the property on which the homes are located, the home has a permanent foundation and the owner lives in the home and does not rent it out.

An ordinance was also passed that will provide $2,000 to $2,500 for the care of the Belmont Cemetery. The funds will come from an oil and gas lease/royalty agreement between Gulfport Energy and an estate which a woman bequeathed to the village for “perpetual care of the cemetery.” The cemetery will receive all royalties from the agreement as well.

Sobel told council there has been an “issue” with people reserving the Belmont Gymnasium for events and not showing up without giving the village notice of cancellation.

“I’d like to have our solicitor come up with an amendment to our ordinance on our gym rental to provide some type of deposit, or 24-hour notice of cancellation,” Sobel said.

Council discussed options, and decided to have Schultz craft an amended ordinance to require payment in full up front for all gym reservations, with no refund if an event is canceled without at least 48 hours’ notice.

“It’s just a common courtesy. If you reserve it, then you are taking the ability to use it from somebody else,” Councilman Daniel Scott said.

Water Board President Kenny Davis said there were 17 delinquent water bills in January, and all ended up either paying in full or at least a portion of what was owed when threatened with disconnection.

“We were $3,500 in arrears when I first came into office and we have pared that down considerably. People have cooperated and done what they have needed to do,” Sobel said.

There are several streets in the village that do not have proper signage designating the correct street name, and Sobel said the village would rectify the problem by putting up correct signs.

Councilman Grant Williams said his street is legally known as Belmont Street, but has no sign.

“Now everybody has GPS and it’s not the end of the world, but before that if somebody got hurt and the emergency squad couldn’t come to my house because they couldn’t find Belmont Street, that would have been a problem,” Williams said.

The next meeting of Belmont Village Council will take place at 7 p.m. March 2.