Tremendous Turnout for Village Election

The River Hill Community Association (RHCA) held elections for the Columbia Council Representative and Village Board of Directors on April 22. Voter turnout was unusually high at 2.6 times the previous record of 250 votes in 2019. 143 absentee ballots were submitted in the days leading up to the election and 508 ballots were cast on election day to total 651 ballots. This is attributed to the contested race for the Columbia Council Representative between Eric Greenberg and Dipper Wettstein. Mr. Greenberg won the election over Mr. Wettstein, 347 to 290 votes.

Congratulations to Eric Greenberg on his election to a two-year term to the Columbia Association Board of Directors. Mr. Greenberg has held the position of Chair of the CA Board of Directors during the last fiscal year. Prior to his appointment to the CA Board of Directors, Mr. Greenberg served on the River Hill Board of Directors. Eric lives in the community with his four-year-old son and his wife, Brianna.

Many thanks to Dipper Wettstein for running a spirited campaign for the Columbia Council Representative position and for his willingness to serve the community in this capacity. Mr. Wettstein has served on the Columbia Association Board of Directors and the River Hill Village Board, as well as starting the RHCA Watershed Advisory Committee. It is the hope of the Association that Dipper will remain active in the community in the coming months.

River Hill residents elected three new members to the Board of Directors for a two-year term: Mark Combs, Rob Mekelburg, and Moe Imran. These gentlemen are longtime residents of the Village and have raised their families here. They will join the two current members of the Board, Kevin Bruening and Jian Ni. The Board of Directors meets monthly at Claret Hall, and residents are encouraged to attend. Carlos Acker, David Donovan, and Muyiwa Odeniyide are deserving of the respect and admiration of the community. Their campaigns were grounded in values, collaboration, and community engagement. The Association extends its sincere gratitude for their interest in seeking office and encourages continued commitment to the Village through various volunteer opportunities.

RHCA appreciates the volunteer members of the Election Committee who were integral to making the election a success; Ron Briggs, April Battle, and Jennifer Lynott. Also, a thank you to the members of the Village staff, who sacrificed their days off to ensure a successful election process. But, most importantly, many thanks to the countless Village residents, who were first time volunteers in the community. They had an opportunity to meet neighbors while volunteering and provided valuable service to the community by verifying eligibility of voters, handing out ballots, answering questions, counting ballots, and tallying results.” To quote Ron Briggs, Election Committee Chair, “You stepped up and hit it out of the park.”

Volunteer opportunities are numerous throughout the year, offering residents the chance to meet neighbors, learn new skills and material, and have new experiences. Residents can serve on the Architectural, Watershed, or Traffic and Safety Committees. No experience is necessary, and commitments range from a few hours a month to a few hours a week. Contact the Village Manager for more information at manager@villageofriverhill.org.