Minnetonka council selects Amanda Maxwell to fill Ward 2 seat after interviews

The Minnetonka City Council on Feb. 23 interviewed two finalists for the Ward 2 vacancy and announced Amanda Maxwell as the council's preferred appointee, directing staff to prepare her formal appointment for the March 2 study session.

Mayor Rebecca Schack told the meeting that council members had completed scoring of the candidates and that "Amanda Maxwell has the lowest score. So she's the person that collectively we've selected to fill the Ward 2 seat," adding that staff would prepare the paperwork and the appointment would take place before the study session scheduled for March 2 at 5:30 p.m.

The council heard two 30-minute interviews in the special meeting. One candidate, identified in the transcript only as Steve, said he had lived in the ward for roughly 41 years, served six years on Minnetonka's planning commission and emphasized long-term thinking on policy decisions. "I think knowing the geography of Minnetonka is one thing, but getting to know the people in Minnetonka too," the candidate said during his interview.

Hamilton Hines, the other finalist, described a background in regional program management and retail-sector work and emphasized outreach and listening as demographic change continues in Minnetonka. "I want to make sure Minnetonka is a community and a city that everyone feels that way when they drive through here," Hines said, urging the council to engage residents who do not typically attend meetings.

Council members used ranked scoring sheets (1 = first choice, 5 = last choice); staff member Sarah Sarecki and the council confirmed that the candidate with the lowest total wins under the method they used. The council did not record a formal roll-call vote at the special meeting; instead, members completed scoring, the results were tabulated, and the mayor announced the selection.

Council members thanked both finalists for applying and noted the decision was difficult; the mayor said Hamilton Hines finished a close second. The council directed staff to prepare documents to appoint Amanda Maxwell to the Ward 2 seat prior to the March 2 study session; the appointment will be publicly announced when processed. The special meeting then adjourned and the council returned for its regular meeting at 6:00 p.m.

Details not specified in the meeting record: Amanda Maxwell did not speak at the Feb. 23 interviews in the transcript; the transcript does not record a formal motion, a mover or a recorded roll-call vote implementing the appointment. The council's action at the special meeting was to select a preferred candidate and direct staff to prepare the formal appointment for a later meeting.