Ronan City Council’s meeting on Jan. 14 began with a welcome for a new council member and new police officer, plus new office worker Gwen Zolder.

New Ronan Council member for Ward 1, Mark Nelson, was sworn in by Mayor Ryan Corum alongside incumbent Ward 2 member Lindsay Myers. Nelson takes the seat previously held by the mayor and will serve through 2029.

He’s the former manager of the Lake County Transfer Station and has a long history of involvement in Ronan Pioneer Days and other community events.

The council, including the newly sworn-in members, unanimously reaffirmed the appointment of Chris Adler as Ronan Fire Chief for 2026.

Ronan Police Chief Rob Jacobson swore in new police officer David Hester, whose wife, Brianna, pinned his badge on for the first time.

After a round of applause and pictures, the council buckled down to other business.

They voted to send two proposals for zoning changes to the Ronan Board of Adjustments for an investigation and report back to the council. The proposals include:

• Changing the zoning at 35806 Terrace Lake Road, most recently Second Circle Lodge. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes would like to tear the building down and build a four-plex on the site. According to Dan Miller, Ronan’s head of public works, the property is now zoned A, which is for one to two families, and the Tribes would like it changed to B, which would allow for four families. This would be for just that parcel.

• Change the zoning on 35958 Round Butte Road to allow for a pawn shop. Miller said The Mill Coffee Shop is currently occupying the property and Ernie Moran and Kale Gardner would like to open a pawn shop there.

The property is zoned mixed commercial/residential so the zoning does not need to be changed, but a pawn shop is not listed so it would be “sort of like a variance” for the Board of Adjustments to consider. Again, it would only be for that parcel.

Miller plans to call a meeting of the board so they can investigate and present their findings to the council before its next meeting.

Council members approved Resolution No. 2026-01 authorizing the mayor and council to send a letter to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes requesting that all irrigation ditches within Ronan be put into piping. The letter will go to C.J. Ryan, CSKT division manager for engineering and water resources.

The final bit of new business was a motion authorizing the mayor and clerk to execute a professional service agreement between the City of Ronan and Trepademics LLC. The business will update the City of Ronan’s growth policy and capital improvement plan.

Ronan missed out on a grant last year because the plans were too old, Miller said.

The next council meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 28.