Changing of the guard...

City Clerk Nina Patterson swears in new (but returning) Councilman Geoff Schroeder.

The City of Mountain Home saw a changing of the guard Monday evening during the city council's first meeting of the new year.

During a ceremony at city hall, returning Councilman Geoff Schroeder accepted his oath of office to resume his duty with the city after he stepped down from the council two years ago. Schroeder served as a councilman from 2006 to 2010 but declined to run in the last election in order to pursue some advanced schooling at Boise State University.

Meanwhile, Councilman Richard Urquidi was sworn in to begin his fourth, four-year term with the city.

Rich Urquidi began his fourth term with the city council at Monday's meeting.

Urquidi and Schroeder earned the most votes during the November 2013 election to win both council seats. The three-way race included outgoing Councilwoman Alain Isaac, who served three full terms on the council.

"The past 12 years have been immensely rewarding," Isaac said in her parting comments before the council. While admitting that the next chapter in her life will be interesting to write, Isaac added that she'll miss the people in the city leadership, which she considers close friends.

Isaac brought honesty to the council during her years of service, said Mayor Tom Rist. While the perspectives presented by Isaac and Rist often differed on various topics and led to diplomatic, professional disagreements, she "stuck to her guns and never wavered," he said.

Councilman Russ Anderson applauded Isaac's accomplishments over the past 12 years. He emphasized that she brought attention to a number of issues affecting this community that would've otherwise been overlooked.

"The city's been under great care" during Isaac's 12 years of service to this community, added Councilman Richard Urquidi.

Councilman Jimmy Schipani, who officially started his third year with the council on Monday, said he considered Isaac a role model that helped prepare him for the duties and responsibilities associated with his post on the council.

As the council adjourned to officially mark the end of its previous term, city clerk Nina Patterson administered the oath of office for both councilmen to mark the beginning of the new session.

In its first official duty for 2014, the four-person council unanimously approved recommendations from city hall to maintain Mountain Home's current department heads, including its chief of police and city fire chief. In addition, council members also reviewed which of the 15 different committees they serve in liaison capacities.

Meanwhile, the council unanimously voted to name Schipani as the council president for the next 12 months.

During Monday's meeting, Schroeder credited the hard work and commitment each city department has invested over the years to keep the city running.

That came in the midst of the housing market crash in 2008 that caused a sharp drop in local tax revenue and prompted the city to cut back on spending without affecting local services.

In response, the mayor thanked the councilman for his work over the past two years to overhaul the guidelines used to collect fees for new construction in Mountain Home to offset the impact of residential and commercial growth. Schroeder headed a team that rewrote the city's impact fee procedures and capital improvement plan.

In his comments following the public meeting, Urquidi admitted that he looks forward to continuing to serve "for this great city."

He thanked the citizens of this community for giving him the opportunity to continue to serve the needs of this city.