FAIRMONT– The Fairmont Charter Commission delayed addressing any new business, but instead went over its last five months of work on Tuesday evening.

The Charter Commission has been going through the current charter of the city, chapter by chapter, since it began meeting monthly in April. In that time it has gone through the first two chapters.

Member Mike Katzenmeyer said he viewed the purpose of the evening’s meeting as to clean up and make sure all their ducks are in a row on the language before they present the recommended changes to the Fairmont City Council.

Some changes the commission previously approved include recommending to amend the charter to have five council members in five wards and no councilor at-large.

“That’s going to be a huge change,” said Charter Commission member, Robynn Buhmann.

She said she expects there will be a lot of discussion by the Fairmont City Council on the matter.

The Charter Commission is also recommending to amend section 2.01, form of government, to a “weak” mayor council plan.

Under section 2.06, regarding the mayor, the Charter Commission is recommending to add that “the mayor shall not serve as liaison to boards, commissions and committees appointed by the council.”

The Charter Commission had also recommended to remove a sentence saying the councilor at-large shall serve as mayor pro tem, as they are recommending to remove the councilor at-large position all together.

On Tuesday evening Charter Commission member, Dale Martens, made a motion to include the statement “that the council members shall elect a mayor pro tem from among the council. That person serves as mayor in the mayor’s absence and the mayor pro tem shall retain the right to upon all matters before the council.”

Martens asked if they should present it section by section to the city council or as a whole.

Fairmont City Administrator, Cathy Reynolds, said, “When you forward this to council, council will review it. It’s an ordinance process. Council will go through the same process it goes through to pass any ordinance. There will be a public hearing on it for the first reading and then it will come back for a second reading at which time council will vote to either approve or to not approve.”

Reynolds said they can also modify it as well. She said the council can view it all as one ordinance, making changes to each section.

Reynolds said she can add bringing the recommended changes to the council to the agenda for a Fairmont City Council meeting in January, as the Charter Commission voted to cancel its December meeting and will meet again on Jan. 18.