Minot City Council appoints Mike Hayes to fill vacant alderman seat after tied first vote

The Minot City Council on Sept. 2 appointed Mike Hayes to fill a council vacancy and sworn him into office after hearing brief remarks from 15 applicants.

The vacancy arose when the sitting council member was elected mayor. Mayor Janser opened the special meeting and said the council had received 15 applications and would allow each applicant a brief opportunity to speak. Applicants described a mix of backgrounds, including local business owners, nonprofit staff and longtime residents.

Council members first moved to appoint Beth Fellner, but that motion failed in a 3-3 roll call. Alderman Olsen made the nomination; the council recorded three dissenting votes from Blesham, Fuller and Samuelson. After discussion and additional nominations, the council nominated Mike Hayes and approved his appointment by a 5-1 vote; Alderman Olsen cast the lone dissent. The council clerk immediately administered the oath of office and Hayes signed the swearing-in paperwork.

Council discussion focused on qualifications and priorities. Several council members cited Hayes’s private-sector development experience and recent work on local development projects when explaining their votes. Hayes told the council he wanted to help generate new streams of revenue and to encourage continued building and development in Minot, saying his business background gave him experience “to help maneuver through” the city’s growth and revenue challenges. Several council members praised other applicants’ community involvement and urged those who were not appointed to consider running in future elections.

The city clerk noted that a petition asking for a special election to fill the vacancy was submitted the afternoon of the meeting. The clerk said the packet contained 31 pages and that signatures had not yet been validated; the submitter believed there were about 427 signatures, but the clerk said validation was incomplete and that the petition deadline was governed by state law. City attorneys present advised the council it could weigh the petition when deciding whether to appoint or call a special election.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to appoint Beth Fellner: failed, 3-3. Dissents recorded from Blesham, Fuller and Samuelson. (Mover: Alderman Olsen; second: not specified in the record.) - Motion to appoint Mike Hayes: passed, 5-1. Dissent recorded from Alderman Olsen. (Mover and second: not specified in the public record.)

The council adjourned after the swearing-in. The newly seated alderman will take part in the council’s next regular business meeting and serve in the seat until the term’s expiration or until a future election, as applicable under city procedures.