Rutha Chestnut was sworn into Charleston City Council on Monday night to finish her late husband's term representing Ward 7.
She is the widow of Councilman Archie Chestnut, who died from liver cancer last month.
Councilman Mary Jean Davis nominated Chestnut to fill the vacant seat.
"She is strong, talented, hardworking, and like Archie, she has a desire to keep Charleston moving forward and see the downtown area prosper," Davis said of Chestnut.
Chestnut is a real estate agent and broker, and owns Chestnut Properties in Charleston.
Mayor Danny Jones appointed Chestnut to serve on the Parks and Recreation, Streets and Traffic and Rules and Ordinances committees.
Chestnut said on Monday that she was surprised to learn that Jones planned to recommend her to fill the vacant seat on Council last month.
"But my first thought was, 'Yes, I can do that,'" Chestnut said.
According to Chestnut, her husband told Davis before he died that his wife should fill his seat, which Davis later relayed to Chestnut.
"He gave me the little push I needed to snap out of it and go on," Chestnut said.
Also on Monday, Council voted to:
n Authorize an agreement with PAR Roofing Company Inc. in the amount of $56,850 to replace the roof at the city's sign shop, near the Public Grounds office on Twilight Drive.
The holes in the existing roof have caused major issues with leaking, City Manager David Molgaard said.
"The machinery we have in there is kind of sophisticated ... and we don't really have any other place to move them," Molgaard said.
n Passed a bill closing, abandoning and discontinuing an unimproved 10-foot public right-of-way in the 100 block of East Point Drive.
Reach Elaina Sauber at elaina.sauber@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-3051 or follow
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