Sheldon, Iowa — The Sheldon City Council has set the method they will use for appointing a new mayor.
At the suggestion of City Manager Sam Kooiker, the appointment of a new mayor will be made at the April 3rd council meeting. All those who have indicated an interest in the mayoral position by submitting a letter to the city will have an opportunity to address the council for up to three minutes, which will be followed by questioning from the council. Then each of the interested parties will have an opportunity for a closing statement. The council will then proceed to vote. If a council member is one of the candidates that member would need to abstain from voting. However, there still is a possibility of the selection being made in a special election. Such an election could come about by way of a petition signed by the necessary number of citizens. If the new mayor is appointed he or she will need to run for re-election this fall. If the mayor is chosen in a special election, that person would serve the balance of the unexpired term of the former mayor.
Also at Wednesday’s meeting, the council discussed a possible change in the City’s utility billing system. For many years, the bills were sent out on the first of the month. If a bill was not paid by the tenth of the month the City would send a “reminder” letter. If that didn’t result in a timely payment a disconnect notice would be sent. The City Clerk reported that this past month over 450 “reminder” notices were sent out at a cost of about $250.00, plus the extra work required in the office. She will come back to the council at a future meeting with a plan for possible changes in the billing system, eliminating the “reminder” letters.
In other business, the council approved the Village Northwest Unlimited request to apply for a Community Development Block Grant to help fund the construction of two new intermediate care facility houses for people with intellectual disabilities.
The council approved the first reading of an ordinance that would increase most of the cemetery fees by $25.00. It was noted that the ordinance language also makes the grave opening price the same for St. Patrick’s, St. Paul’s and East Lawn Cemeteries.
