By Kim McDarison
Fort Atkinson city officials have received nine applications from residents looking to fill a city council seat vacated in April.
City council member Megan Hartwick resigned her seat after her reelection in April. Hartwick had earlier made public through a statement her intention not to run for reelection, and, although her name, as stipulated by state statutes, city officials have said, could not be removed from the ballot, Hartwick, in her statement, requested that voters not cast their ballots for her.
She emerged from the election as the third highest vote-getter among four names appearing on the April ballot.
In response to Hartwick’s statement, and in anticipation that Hartwick could potentially garner a winning number of votes, city officials outlined a process through which, following her resignation, a replacement would be named.
During a council meeting held in April, residents were invited to submit applications for the seat to the city manager’s office by a deadline of May 5.
An earlier story about the vacated seat and process to fill it is here: https://fortatkinsononline.com/hartwick-resigns-council-approves-appointment-process-to-fill-first-year-of-two-year-term/.
On Monday, city officials release the names of those city residents who applied by the May 5 deadline. They are: Paul Brady, John Donohue, Nathan Friedl, James Garthwait, Gary Held, Jordan Lamb, Davin Lescohier, Diana Shull, and Mary Kay Paulson Weston.
According to information supplied by Fort Atkinson City Manager Rebecca Houseman, applicants will next be invited to the city council’s regularly scheduled meeting, planned for Tuesday, May 16, at which time each applicant will be offered a five-minute interview, during which council members will pose questions.
Applicants will be interviewed in the order in which their application was received by the city manager.
After those applicants who are present at the meeting complete their interviews, council members will each select three finalists, Houseman stated.
Selection will be decided using a voting process, Houseman noted, adding that each of the four council members will identify three applicants for final consideration. Selections made by the four council members will be tallied, with the collective top three vote-getters continuing as finalists, Houseman said.
Council members will next “discuss and debate” the three finalists, after which a council member may make a motion to appoint an applicant. Council may next discuss and debate the proposed appointment, and vote. If the motion is approved, the applicant will be appointed. If the motion fails, a new motion to appoint another finalist will be entertained, Houseman explained. The process will continue until an appointment is made, she added.
The process will be held in open session to provide professionalism and transparency, Houseman said.
Fort Atkinson Municipal Building, file photo/Kim McDarison.
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