Dick Harshberger

RADFORD -- Dick Harshberger is Radford's new vice mayor.

At the city council's annual organizational meeting Tuesday night, Harshberger was unanimously elected by the council. Radford voters elected Harshberger to his second term on the council in May.

"I know the vice mayor's job is mostly ceremonial," Harshberger said. Nevertheless, he said he wants to contribute as much as he can from the post, fostering "collaborations and linkages" through avenues such as the city's speakers' bureau. "I'd like to be as much of an information channel as I can. ... I'll try to be as accessible as possible whenever possible."

Harshberger specifically mentioned his desire to strengthen ties between the city and the university that bears its name -- something that has also been a point of emphasis for the outgoing vice mayor, Laurie Buchwald.

An ad hoc committee that has worked toward that goal -- and counts Buchwald and Harshberger among its members -- took a step toward permanence Tuesday when City Manager Tony Cox presented the council with a draft ordinance that would make the commission on the Highlanders Festival a standing committee. The commission's permanent form, like its current makeup, would include five members appointed by council and five appointed from Radford University. The commission would make recommendations to council and the university, but neither would be bound by those recommendations.

The 13th Highlanders Festival -- a celebration of Appalachia's Celtic roots -- is scheduled for Oct. 10-11. Events will be held in the city and on the Radford University campus.

Cox also presented the council with a draft ordinance to make the ad hoc tourism commission a permanent city commission. The council created a tourism coordinator's position in July 2007. The committee and interim tourism coordinator Becky Hawke developed a Web site and a campaign to promote Radford as a tourist stop. The idea is to generate commerce for businesses and revenue for the city, particularly through lodging and meals taxes.

Deb Cooney became the city's tourism coordinator in January.

Cox plans to put those proposed ordinances on the agenda for the council's July 14 meeting.

The council's only other action Tuesday was to approve a meeting schedule for the new fiscal year. The council will meet on the second and fourth Mondays of each month except for May. The second Monday of that month falls on Memorial Day, so the council voted to skip that meeting.