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City moving ahead on filling empty council seat |
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By Charlie Warner
Argus News Editor
The Caledonia City Council will be looking to replace former Councilman Paul Fisch this Wednesday, March 19 during a special council meeting scheduled for 12:15 p.m. A committee made up of Mayor Mike Morey and Councilman Gary Klug had been set up during the March 10 council meeting to review a list of persons who have expressed interest in the council opening.
Originally, the committee was to report back to the full council at the next regularly scheduled council meeting on March 24. But council members felt it was important to have a full council in place before the March 24 meeting, where proposed changes in city zoning ordinances were to be reviewed at a public hearing.
Should the council advertise for persons to come forward to fill the empty seat? That issue was discussed at the March 10 meeting. According to City Administrator Bob Nelson, the city is not required to advertise the opening.
“We need to move forward with this,” Morey said. “If we advertise for the opening, it would delay this by at least three weeks. As long as we are not required to advertise for the opening, I recommend we move forward, and fill the position as soon as we can.”
Fisch, who has served as a councilman for the past nine years, resigned as of Feb. 29, 2008. He had been re-elected to his third term on the council in November, 2006.
Because Fisch’s term was less than half completed, the city can appoint someone to fill out the rest of this year. A special election for the remaining two years of the term will be held during the general elections this November.
So far, four persons have expressed interest in the open seat. They are Bob Burns, Joe Rud, Norman Snodgrass, and Peggy Perry.
The four-year terms of Councilmen Bob Standish and Gary Klug, the two-year term of Mayor Mike Morey, and a two-year term caused by Fisch’s departure will all be on the ballot in November.
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