North Branch Council vacancy to be filled by appointment

North Branch is accepting applications to appoint someone to fill the council vacancy created by the Brian Voss resignation. Council agreed Tuesday October 13 to set an October 30 deadline for applications to be submitted.

The form is on the website www.ci.north-branch.mn.us.

The schedule calls for the city council’s remaining four members to do interviews November 12 and appoint someone in a special meeting Nov 17. The new council person could theoretically be serving by the regular November 24 meeting.

Council member Joel McPherson expressed his concern about being shorthanded. In order to hold a meeting a minimum “quorum” of three is necessary. McPherson made a motion to appoint Amanda Darwin, who is now on the ballot for council, but nobody would offer a second. City Administrator Renae Fry said this wouldn’t really resolve the vacancy issue, because then someone would have to be appointed to the seat being filled on the ballot. Mayor Jim Swenson also noted that there’s a little over 24 months left to serve on the Voss term but Darwin wanted the four-year full term.

The applications need to come from someone who is 21 years or older, is not a city employee and has resided in the city for a month. The council holds regular meetings on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month and there are related council duties on committees, etc.