An era came to an end Monday as Covington said farewell to two city council members.

With a lack of quorum available to hold a council meeting on Dec. 21, Janet Goodman and Keith Dalton sat on the dais in the council chambers of Covington City Hall for the final time on Monday Dec. 7.

Dalton has been on the council for eight years and Goodman a fixture in city hall for 37 years. The election of Kenneth Morgan in the West Ward and Josh McKelvey in the East Ward will put two new members on the council for the Jan. 4 meeting.

McKelvey and Morgan were both sworn in before Monday’s meeting, with Dalton and Goodman helping to vote motions into order during the meeting. Council members, Mayor Ronnie Johnston and Police Chief Stacey Cotton honored the two exiting council members following the meeting.

“I would like to express a sincere thank you to Mr. Dalton and Ms. Goodman for their years of service on the council,” City Manager Leigh Anne Knight said during her comments after the council meeting. “Both worked tirelessly for your community. Through your efforts many great things have been done. It has been a pleasure to work for, and with, you all.”
Among the achievements the council has had during Dalton’s term, recently he helped spearhead a take-home-vehicle program for the Covington Police Department, and made, and got passed, a motion to give each officer a new primary and backup service weapon.

“Under your leadership, and pushing with the rest of the council, we got an assigned vehicle program,” Cotton said. “And most recently, the upgrades to our weapons and showing commitment to make sure our officers are safe is greatly appreciated.”

Cotton and Capt.’s Ken Malcom and Craig Treadwell gave Dalton and Goodman honorary badges for their years of service to Covington and the police department.

“On behalf of the men and women of the Covington Police Department, I want to say thank you,” Cotton said. “A police department is only as successful as a community allows it to be.”

Cotton also thanked Goodman for her mentorship throughout his time as chief.

Goodman, a former teacher, seemingly has had a word of advice for everyone who came through the council for the last three decades, and provided leadership for many on the current group.

“Ms. Goodman, it’s just amazing to me that you have been sitting here doing the business of the city as long as you have,” Johnston said at the council meeting. “Me and Ms. Goodman had such great talks about the city of Covington and the history of the city of Covington; I think you more than anybody gave me the reason to preserve our history and work for the better good of the city of Covington.”

Johnston gave Dalton and Goodman each a certificate and plaque featuring a city of Covington bench at the close of the meeting.

The council then held a reception for the two public servants in City Hall.

It has been my pleasure to serve not just the citizens but employees,” Dalton said. “We have a lot of great people who are proud to call Covington home.”