Conaway elected to serve as board of health treasurer

By Mallory Panuska
Times West Virginian

FAIRMONT May 10, 2008 12:29 am

— Following the resignation of Nancy Parks from the Marion County Health Board last week, board member John Conaway has been elected to serve as the new treasurer.
Parks’ resignation, which was tendered following recent questions about her position on the board, was approved by the county commission at its Wednesday meeting.
County Commission President Alan Parks took over her position on the board in a 2-0 vote with one abstention. Commissioner Randy Elliott, who serves as president of the health board, abstained during the meeting.
Commissioner Parks, who is Nancy’s husband, said Wednesday he had asked his wife to resign because of negative publicity generated after the board passed a controversial countywide smoking ban in March.
Nancy Parks had served as treasurer of the board, and a special meeting was called Friday afternoon to replace her in that position. Members present at the meeting, which included Alan Parks, Elliott, Lenny Stafford and Betty Fast, voted unanimously to name Conaway to the position.
The special meeting was called solely to replace Nancy Parks’ position, and no other business was conducted.
The treasurer of the board is tasked to endorse checks and make payments, and the commissioners agreed that it was necessary to replace the position as soon as possible.
The board’s next meeting is scheduled for Friday, May 30 at 6 p.m. at the Marion County Senior Citizens Center on Maplewood Drive. At this meeting, the Clean Indoor Air Ordinance — a measure that bans smoking in all bars, video lottery rooms and fraternal organizations unless they are holding private functions — is slated for discussion.
The smoking ban was approved last month with minimal public comment on a 3-1 vote, with one abstention from Stafford because he is a bar owner. Nancy Parks, Fast and Conaway voted in favor of the ordinance and Elliott voted against it.
Elliott has said he will ask the board members to “revisit and reconsider” the vote to pass the ordinance at the May 30 meeting.
E-mail Mallory Panuska at mpanuska@timeswv.com.