New council members took office at the Holly Springs Town Council Dec. 1 meeting. Newly elected council members James Cobb and Linda Hunt Williams joined reelected council member Chet VanFossen and reelected mayor Dick Sears in taking oaths to the office. The meeting concluded the terms of council members Vinnie DeBenedetto and Hank Dickson.

“It’s been a challenging and satisfying road,” Dickson said after receiving a plaque recognizing his 12 years of service. “This town has come a long, long way.”

Dickson spoke about how the town changed during his service. He spoke about parks and recreation opportunities added, new town facilities constructed and businesses opened.

He said when he first began his service, elected officials from other towns would greet him “with a smirk and condescending nod,” but Holly Springs “can now keep in step with our neighbors. Actually, they’re trying to keep in step with us.”

Dickson thanked residents and volunteers who served the town through community service, “the selfless people who quietly give their time and give back,” he said. He said the town “also has its share of evil, self-serving people.”

Dickson also thanked staff and elected officials and expressed his confidence in the newly elected and reelected council members.

“The voters made the right choices,” he said.

DeBenedetto also was recognized with a plaque.

“The past four years have been extremely rewarding,” DeBenedetto said.

He thanked residents for giving him the privilege and pleasure of serving and wished the newly elected officials “lots of luck in the future.”

Continuing the meeting, the council elected Council Member Tim Sack as mayor pro tempore. The council also appointed representatives to area boards. Williams was appointed to be the town council representative to the Triangle J Council of Governments with Council Member Parrish Womble as alternate. Williams also was appointed to represent the council on the town parks and recreation committee. VanFossen was appointed to represent the council on the town Technical Review Committee.

The council appointed Board of Adjustment members. Appointed as members were Brian Adornetto, Robert Goldfinger and Glen Walker. Alternate members appointed were Vinnie D’Agostino and John Sadler. Planning Board members Joe Signoretti and Arthur “Pete” Utley Jr. also were appointed. Ken Henke was appointed to the parks and recreation committee as part of meeting’s consent agenda. Also, the council approved submission of a grant application to the state for development of a bicycle and pedestrian plan. If the town’s application is successful, the state will pay $28,000 toward the $40,000 plan.

As part of the consent agenda, the council adopted a calendar of regular meetings for 2010, received insurance proceeds to repair damaged vehicles and declared 35 police department weapons as surplus property for disposal. The weapons will be exchanged under a grant program that will replace them with newer models, a town document said.