|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The Danville Town Council is under new leadership as of this month following the annual Mayor’s Installation and Community Awards Ceremony, which centered on celebrating community members and organizations and culminated in the mayoral rotation.
Eight-term councilmember Newell Arnerich was elected by his colleagues on the council to hold the gavel for his eighth one-year term as mayor, taking the reins from outgoing mayor Renee Morgan at the conclusion of her third term on Dec. 2.
“This year has shown that we can accomplish anything that we work together for with purpose, passion, and pride in our town,” Morgan said.
Morgan highlighted a range of accomplishments in the town over the past year including successful arts and culture programs, continued improvements to the town’s central core as part of the Downtown Master Plan, and other renovations and new projects including the newly remodeled Diablo Vista Park.Â
“Your engagement and your care for this town makes these achievements possible,” Morgan said. “I’d like to say to all of you it has been an honor to serve as your mayor.”
Following the town’s incorporation in 1983, the annual mayoral rotation between members of the town council for one-year terms became a part of the Community Awards ceremony that is now in its 44th year. In the present day, the ceremony consists of two major service awards and multiple merit awards.
The Michael K Shimansky Community Service Award – named after the longtime councilmember who died in 2009, with winners selected by his surviving family from a pool of candidates dedicated to benefiting youth in the community – was presented to Connor Fitzpatrick “for his exceptional leadership, dedication, and impact” on the town’s Bicycle Advisory Commission.
Known by the council as the town’s highest honor, this year’s Danville Award was presented to the board of directors for the All Wars Memorial for their contributions to a full remodel of the memorial at Oak Hill Park. The full remodel including new benches, monuments and signage was paid for by the board’s fundraising efforts.
Merit awards were presented to American Legion Post 246, The Valley Oak Respite Center, youth poet laureate Madeline Roytfeld, the Danville Ramp Cleanup Crew, and California Chateau Homeowners’ Association President Katrina Broome.
Arnerich was nominated as mayor by Council member Robert Storer at the end of the evening in a move that was approved unanimously by the council.Â
“No one in Danville history has ever achieved this extremely rare honor,” Storer said. “This is the Mount Everest of achievements in our history books – it’s already in our history books. Newell continues to serve this community with the same passion, energy, intelligence, and good solid logic while always demonstrating a reasonable and rational decision-making process that has guided us through so many years of service,” he added.
Storer himself was subsequently nominated by Council member Mark Belotz for his fifth term as vice mayor in a motion approved by the council.
“We have a lot of challenges that we have to face this year, and with all due respect to our state legislature, our biggest issue is to keep the state out of our backyard,” Arnerich said. “Policymakers can focus on other things. It’s become so hard to do local government with unfunded mandates taking away our control.”
In particular, he pointed to new state housing laws limiting local authority to deny new housing projects and pushing for approvals of housing projects, urging state policymakers to instead focus on getting new housing built.
“We have approved, and we can keep approving – it will not build houses,” Arnerich said. “But on a better note, Danville is a roaring success.”
Arnerich pointed to new Danville Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Amy Millington and new Town Manager Tai Williams as key players, along with the town government and other staff, in keeping it that way.
Arnerich and Storer are set to remain at the helm of the town council until the 2026 mayor’s installation ceremony.
Trumark acquires Washington-based homebuilder JK Monarch; debuts new Livermore projectMarch 31, 2026 8:51 am
