Newly seated Mayor Harlan Dodge already has cast two tie-breaking votes after a pair of City Council members vied for the position of council president.
Council president election
When the City Council met at its reorganizational meeting on Tuesday evening, the election of a council president sat atop the agenda.
Council Member Todd Larson, who was reelected April 2, has been serving as council president, but Council Member Gina Sookiayak challenged him by nominating herself, citing her leadership on the council and desire to increase transparency to keep the public better informed.
Larson’s nomination came up for vote first. Council Members Marlene Dirkes, Doug Edwardsen and Larson voted in his favor, while Council Members Shasta Westaby, newly elected to the council on April 2, Jim Resac and Sookiayak voted nay.
As Council Member Steve Brown was absent and no one was representing District 3 as Dodge, the sitting representative, had moved into the mayor’s seat, the vote was split 3-3. Dodge broke the tie by voting no.
In the vote to elect Sookiayak, Dirkes, Edwardsen and Larson voted no, and Westaby, Resac and Sookiayak said yes. Dodge voted yes, thus electing Sookiayak as council president.
Vacant seat
The City Council declared Dodge’s former seat in District 3 vacant, and set the process and timeline for naming his successor.
In the past, according to Clerk/Treasurer Kathleen Morse, the council has asked interested candidates to present themselves to the council at a meeting. They are given three minutes at the podium to introduce themselves before the council discusses their nominations.
The council chooses the successful nominee. While secret ballots are not permitted, the council could choose to vote by paper ballots although they must be signed and are considered public record.
The mayor and clerk will accept names of qualified citizens through 1 p.m. on May 8 for council consideration. An appointment will be made at the May 14 regular meeting, at which time the successful candidate will be sworn in and take their seat. The new council member would serve until April 2025.
To contact Dodge call 715-234-4611. He holds office hours at City Hall, 30 E. Eau Claire St., from 8 a.m. to noon Monday through Thursday. Morse can be reached at 715-234-7089.
Committee appointments
Sookiayak asked Dodge to speak more about changes to the committees and questioned appointments to the Parks, Recreation and Cemeteries Committee.
Dodge chose Council Member Doug Edwardsen to replace former Council Member Mark O’Brien as chair of the parks committee, but while Sookiayak said she had nothing against him, she wondered by Westaby wasn’t tapped to serve.
Sookiayak said she has consulted Westaby in the past on inclusive playgrounds, and the child care business owner had a passion for the outdoors and used the park system as part of her business.
Although she admitted she wasn’t familiar with everyone named to the committee, Sookiayak didn’t see anyone who was a parent of school-aged children or younger. She expressed a desire to see someone serving who understood what families look for in parks and recreation.
Dodge said he appointed Sam Williams, who has two young children, to serve as he is a DNR forester and uses the parks, and Edwardsen said he had the leadership experience to take over as chair.
Westaby was OK about not being appointed but said she wants to be in on the committee’s conversations. Dodge said the meetings were open and the public had opportunities to speak.
The council approved committee appointments with the exception of the Business Improvement District, as some of the people listed were no longer qualified.
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