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Council agrees to open application for vacant seat; posts notice for 10 days
Summary
Council directed staff to post an open application for the city council vacancy with a 10‑day filing window, citing a 90‑day statutory appointment window. Council members discussed whether to restrict applicants to candidates already filed for the November ballot; the council agreed to keep the process open.
Caitlin (Clerk) told the council that a council vacancy must be filled within 90 days and proposed posting the open appointment notice on the coming Friday and accepting applications for 10 days. She said the council procedures (page 15, section 21.3) outline the appointment steps.
"I'd like to post the open notice as of Friday and give it 10 days, and then we can come back depending on how many applications we get to council," Caitlin said, describing the proposed timeline.
Council members discussed whether to limit applicants to those who have already filed for the seat in the upcoming election. Greg (City Attorney) said the council may choose to state a preference for applicants who are not running, but that an open process gives all community members a fair opportunity. He also noted the council has discretion to prioritize applicants who are not candidates if two‑thirds of the council agrees.
Several council members said they preferred keeping the process open to all applicants to preserve flexibility and fairness. Council member Angie noted an appointee who is not running could still mount a write‑in campaign. The council agreed by consensus to post the vacancy on Friday with a 10‑day application window so the appointment process could be completed before the summer recess.
