Published: May 08, 2008 01:10 am            

Alan Parks ‘100 percent’ behind smoking ban

Appointed to health board to fill position vacated by his wife

FAIRMONT — County Commission President Alan Parks was appointed to the Marion County Board of Health Wednesday to replace his wife, Nancy, after her position on the board was called into question recently.

Parks said that he asked his wife to resign because of negative publicity generated after the board passed a controversial countywide smoking ban in March. Parks added that he believed some of the criticism was getting “political.”

Parks is running for re-election in November and is unopposed in Tuesday’s Republican primary election.

The newly appointed Parks wasted no time in taking a stance on the smoking ban.

“I am 100 percent in favor of the Clean Indoor Air Act,” Parks said.

Nancy Parks announced her resignation from the board in a letter to the county commission. Her resignation was formally accepted during Wednesday’s commission meeting and became effective immediately.

Nancy Parks was originally appointed to the health board by Fairmont City Council members in 2002, according to city meeting minutes. She was appointed again in 2005. However, state code and the county health board’s bylaws specifically read that all members should be appointed by the county commissioners.

She is one of three board members who voted in favor of the smoking ban, which passed with little public comment.

Commissioner Wayne Stutler made the motion Wednesday to appoint Alan Parks to the board. Stutler said it was urgent to appoint someone immediately because Nancy Parks served as treasurer for the health board. The board must have a treasurer to sign checks. Parks seconded the motion. It was then passed.

Commissioner Randy Elliott, president of the board of health, recused himself from the vote.

The board of health will hold an emergency meeting Friday at noon to appoint a new treasurer. The meeting will be held at the health department building at 300 Second Street.

Stutler said there should be a full board present at the Friday, May 30, meeting when the Clean Indoor Air Ordinance — a measure that bans smoking in all bars, video lottery rooms and fraternal organizations unless it is holding a private function — is again discussed.

Lew Brewer, executive director of the West Virginia Ethics Commission, stated that it was not unethical for Parks to vote on appointing himself to the board. Brewer added that a commissioner voting to appoint himself to a position would only be unethical if it was for financial gain. Health board members are not paid.

The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at the Marion County Senior Citizens Center on Maplewood Drive. Elliott said he will ask the board members to “revisit and reconsider” the vote to pass the ordinance at that meeting.

Elliott has voiced his concern that the public did not have an opportunity to adequately comment on the ordinance before it was passed. The health board took out a 79-word legal advertisement asking for public comment about the measure 24 weeks before a vote was taken.

The measure to ban smoking passed by a three-to-one vote, with one member abstaining. Elliott voted against the ordinance. Nancy Parks, John Conaway and Betty Fast voted in favor of the ordinance. Lenny Stafford abstained from the vote.

Commissioner Parks was sworn in Wednesday by Barbara Core, circuit court clerk.

Alan Parks added that now there are two elected officials sitting on the board, which gives the public more of a voice in the matter than if the board were made up of only one elected official with the rest of the members being appointed.

Parks said that he believes the ordinance will stand as written and that a new vote will not be taken at the board’s May 30 meeting.

E-mail Paul Fallon at pfallon@timeswv.com.

        

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