The Ione City Council meeting began on a sad note Tuesday evening with Councilman Jeff Barnhart reading his letter of resignation. He stated that his decision was not an easy one to make, and that his time on the council was a wonderful learning experience. He cited work as the main contributor to his resignation, and left the meeting immediately after the letter was read. City Manager Kim Kerr then informed the council that no further decisions could be made that night. Council directed staff to put the discussion regarding options for the City on the March 24th Special Meeting which begins at 4 p.m. Council approved a time change for the Planning Commission, changing their meeting time from 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. to promote consistency. Also, a ½ cent special tax for fire will be on the ballot this November for residents of the County to vote on. Allocation of funds will be determined by call volume and will be adjusted annually.