By Diane Petryk
SUNBURY — It was deja vu all over again for David Persing on Monday as he was sworn in as mayor of Sunbury for the fifth time.
During a 6 p.m. ceremony in city hall, District Judge Robert Bolton administered the oath of office to Persing, newly elected City Council members Todd Snyder and Joseph Bartello and city Treasurer Elizabeth R. Kremer.
Persing then administered oaths of office to five fire department officers: Chief Dean Weirick, First Assistant Chief Ken Kipple, Second Assistant Chief Michael Rhoads, Third Assistant Chief Russell Wertz and Battalion Chief Richard Sinko.
“Their importance to the community is immeasurable,” Persing told the audience of city officials and police and fire department members and their families.
After two years as a council member, Persing was elected mayor in 1988 and served four terms from 1989 to 2005. He was defeated for re-election by Jesse Woodring, who did not stand for re-election in 2009.
Persing, a Republican, defeated Democrat Scott Johnson in November and resigned his Shikellamy school board seat to take the helm in Sunbury again.
Persing’s mayoral campaign told voters the city was not moving in the right direction, and he could steer it right. It was clear from Persing’s statements at the last school board meeting that he favors a public relations campaign to enhance both the city’s and school district’s images.
In a quick council reorganization, Persing suggested and all agreed that council member Jim Eister remain supervisor of the Parks and Recreation Department and council member Kevin Troup continue to helm streets and public works. Snyder was assigned to finance and Bartello to public safety and code enforcement. The mayor supervises the police department.
In other business, the council passed a resolution for a short-term tax anticipation loan and announced a Jan. 6 groundbreaking ceremony for part of the Riverfront Project. The ceremony will be held at 11:30 a.m. in the Merle Phillips Park at Market and Chestnut streets.
U.S. Rep. Chris Carney, D-10 of Dimock, is expected to attend, along with city officials and a staff member from Phillips’ office.
Carney is scheduled to tour locations for parts of the project, which include trail enhancement along Front Street, new curbing, walkways, lighting from Race to Bainbridge streets, a central park plaza at Front and Market streets and the addition of orchards and gardens, as well as soft lighting throughout Merle Phillips Park.
The second phase of the Riverfront Project, the council announced, calls for a major bank stabilization effort to eliminate further erosion of the shoreline. That effort includes the installation of rip rap and repair of a deteriorated WPA-era wall, which serves as a buffer for the main city flood wall.
Bid requests will go out in February for construction of an amphitheater, fishing pier, daytime boat docking facility and a service road.
The council’s next meeting is Jan. 11.
