Lacey retains mayor, deputy mayor for 2 more years, swears in Dunning
Lacey City Council, which now meets on Tuesdays, gathered for about 30 minutes on its new day, but still managed to accomplish a lot in that time.
Three council members — Malcolm Miller, Lenny Greenstein and Nic Dunning — were sworn in.
Miller, who ran unopposed for his seat in the Nov. 7 election, was sworn in to his second, four-year term. Greenstein, who defeated challenger Spencer Zeman during the general election, was sworn in to a fourth term on the council. Dunning, who defeated incumbent Ed Kunkel, took the oath of office for the first time.
Miller is a mortgage loan officer, Greenstein is a longtime insurance professional and Dunning is a small business owner.
Immediately after they were sworn in, Mayor Andy Ryder called for nominations for mayor and deputy mayor. The council chose to retain Ryder as mayor and Miller as deputy mayor. They will serve in those roles for another two years.
Ryder, also a small business owner, has served on the council since 2010 and has been mayor of the city since 2014. Miller was first elected in 2020.
“I really appreciate everything this council does to work together to make Lacey the wonderful community it is today, and we couldn’t do it unless we were working together and on the same page,” Ryder said. “I think we have a unique relationship when it comes to government.”
Miller also thanked the council for their support and candor.
“Thank you for the confidence and the vote and the love, really, so I really appreciate you guys,” he said.
As for the new meeting day, the council voted to move their regular meetings to Tuesdays from Thursdays last month.
Miller supported the switch to Tuesdays because he said he finds that council meetings on Thursdays typically conflict with other community events.
The city also has eliminated council committee meetings, partly because they were held during the day when few members of the public could attend. Committee meeting-type items will now be part of city council meetings and work sessions.
This story was originally published January 3, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
