OLEAN — The Common Council got back to full strength on Tuesday, and also selected a new leader.

Vernon Robinson Jr., I-Ward 6, was named the new council president by a 4-3 vote after John Crawford, D-Ward 5, resigned from the position. The council also approved the appointment of Joseph Keary of North Clark Street as the new council member representing Ward 2.

The vote for Robinson was by a 4-3 vote, nominated by Jennifer Forney, R-Ward 3, seconded by Crawford, and receiving votes from Keary and Robinson. David Anastasia, D-Ward 7, nominated Finance Chair Sonya McCall, D-Ward 4, who also received support from JR Bennion, R-Ward 1.

“Are we switching now?” Robinson said.

“Oh, yeah — we’re switching,” Crawford said, vacating the president’s chair before the public comment portion of the meeting.

Crawford noted he has taken a new job and he will not be able to attend meetings in person for the next four months, and “the president needs to be in person.”

Robinson — the first Black council member in the city’s history — was appointed in 2020 to a vacant post, replacing another appointee, Ron DaPolito, who had replaced longtime alderman Nate Smith who resigned in 2019. He won elections in 2021 and 2023, and is running unopposed for re-election this November.

The vote for Keary was unanimous after Mayor Bill Aiello made the appointment, filling a vacancy created when Jason Panus resigned May 26. Under the city charter, the mayor has the power to appoint a new member, but the council must confirm the appointment by a two-thirds vote.

Keary, who received the Republican nomination for the seat, was selected after Democratic candidate Rychelle Weseman told the mayor and Crawford that she was withdrawing from the race due to personal reasons. Crawford noted the decision was made after the deadline to withdraw her name from the November ballot, so no new candidate will appear on the Democratic line when voters head to the polls.

“In the past, the council has opted not to approve a candidate if there was a contested race,” Crawford said, referring to a situation in 2021 when a Ward 4 vacancy led to a former alderman being appointed instead of either the Republican or Democratic candidates on the ballot. Aiello had told the Times Herald in July that he was not planning to appoint Keary because of the upcoming election, but he had received nothing from other Ward 2 residents interested in serving.

Aldermen thanked Keary for stepping forward.

“I have a couple of things for some Ward 2 residents I’ve been handling that I will be more than happy to hand off,” McCall said, also noting a lack of representation for the ward due to Panus’ absenteeism before his resignation.

IN OTHER BUSINESS, Aiello announced the city will receive an additional $100,000 in aid from the state Environmental Facilities Corporation to help engineer upgrades to the city’s pump stations in an effort to halt wastewater discharges into the Allegheny River.

The grant follows a $500,000 commitment from the state in June for engineering plans to help stop the discharges, which in recent years have been triggered by high rainfalls. The new grant will focus on pump station improvement engineering and planning, as well as inflow and infiltration assessment.

“Together, these funds will enable the city to advance its infrastructure planning, improve system reliability, and protect public health and the environment,” the mayor said. “The combined investment of $600,000 reflects strong state-level support for our efforts and positions us to pursue future funding as these evaluations progress.”

Several threats of legal action by Seneca Nations of Indians leadership following high-profile discharges from heavy rainfall led the city and SNI to form a joint task force this April to combat the discharges. The state aid for engineering was part of that initiative, the mayor said in June.