Councilmember Kelly Schaeffer resigns ahead of military move by spouse

Kelly Schaeffer, a member of the Medical Lake City Council, announced her resignation at the council meeting on Aug. 19, saying her husband received a new military assignment and the family will relocate. "I just wanna say, thank everyone. I've loved doing this for the past 2 years," Schaeffer told the council. The resignation was made during the announcements portion of the meeting and followed by council comments thanking Schaeffer for her service on committees including knowledge and finance and for early participation in the Reimagine effort. Mayor Cooper (identified during the meeting as mayor) and other council members expressed appreciation for her work and wished her well on the upcoming move. The announcement occurred before routine business items and public safety reports; the council did not take additional formal actions about filling the vacancy during the meeting. Council members noted past contributions and said the council will miss Schaeffer. The resignation included no discussion of timeline for replacing her seat, nor motion or vote to appoint a successor at the Aug. 19 meeting. The council did note that Councilmember Heroldt had previously been excused and that Ted Olson would be excused that evening. Members invited Schaeffer to offer any final remarks, and she thanked citizens and colleagues for the opportunity to serve. Councilmembers and staff did not specify next steps for recruitment or appointment at that meeting; those details were not provided in the public record from the Aug. 19 session. Looking ahead, the council is expected to follow its usual process for filling vacancies or holding special elections, but no decision or timetable was announced at the Aug. 19 meeting.