Fraser City Council on Thursday authorized the Director of Public Safety to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of John Gillis after returning from a closed session on collective bargaining and staffing.

The motion, made shortly after the council reconvened, passed on a 4-3 roll-call vote that split the council along individual lines.

Mayor Lesage made the motion and Councilmember Stein seconded it; council then took a roll-call vote. Councilmembers Lesage, O’Dell, Perry and Stein voted yes; Councilmembers Baranski, Shornack and Sutherland voted no. The mayor announced the motion passed 4-3.

The action followed a closed-session strategy session related to collective bargaining under the Open Meeting Act; council discussed filling the vacancy in that closed session and then returned to the public meeting to act. The motion authorized the public-safety director to proceed with recruiting or appointing to fill the position vacated by John Gillis.

Council took no additional public action in that moment to set a hiring timeline or publicize a candidate; staff will implement next steps consistent with the city’s personnel policies and any collective-bargaining constraints discussed in closed session.

Because the substantive discussion occurred in closed session and the public motion and roll call were recorded, the council’s public record shows the authorization and the roll-call outcome but not the detailed closed-session deliberations.

Staff were tasked to proceed with filling the vacancy in accordance with direction received in closed session and to return to council if additional approval steps or bargaining implications require public action.