Jefferson City Council sends vacancy proposal back to committee | Jefferson City News-Tribune

The Jefferson City Council hit pause Monday on a proposal to overhaul how it fills vacancies. Ward 1 Councilman Jeff Ahlers withdrew a proposed ordinance Monday amending the city code's section on filling vacancies of elected officials. Ahlers, the bill sponsor, said he pulled the measure because city staff members and council members wanted to make amendments and he did not want to complicate the discussion on the council floor. Instead, the proposal will return to the Administration Committee for further review before coming back to the full council for consideration. "So instead of making sausage here, I'd rather make sausage in there," Ahlers said, pointing to the Administration Committee's regular meeting room at City Hall. When a council member resigns before the end of a term, the remaining council members select a replacement to serve until the next April municipal election. Earlier this year, the council elected Cody Holt to fill the Ward 2 seat vacated by Aaron Mealy. Holt will serve until April 2027, when the seat will be up for re-election. The council is now preparing to fill another vacancy after Ward 3 Councilman Derek Thomas resigned earlier this month. Molly Bryan, the city's public information coordinator, said Ward 3 residents interested in serving on the council can find eligibility requirements and application information at JeffersonCityMo.gov. Nathan Nickolaus with Lauber Municipal Law, the firm acting as the interim city attorney, previously told the council the current vacancy-filling process is cumbersome. Under city code, the council must wait at least two weeks after a vacancy occurs before making nominations, hold a public forum for residents to meet nominees and then wait another two weeks before voting. Nickolaus proposed shortening the process by allowing nominations during a council meeting and holding a vote at the following meeting. The proposal sparked debate earlier this month because it originally included Mayor Ron Fitzwater in the nomination process. Thomas and Ward 2 Councilman Mike Lester argued the mayor should not have a role in selecting council replacements, and the council later advanced an amendment specifying nominations could be made only by council members, excluding the mayor. During Monday's public comment period, resident Steve Sokoloff, a retired attorney and former city attorney for three municipalities, criticized Nickolaus' involvement in drafting the proposal. Sokoloff argued the city attorney's role is to provide legal advice, not recommend policy changes for the council to consider. Nickolaus was not present Monday and Joe Lauber of Lauber Municipal Law attended the meeting in his place. During the June 1 council meeting, Nickolaus said he did not "have any dog in this hunt" and he was simply providing examples from Missouri case law and ordinances adopted by other cities. Also on Monday, the City Council approved: A rezoning request for 2117 Christy Drive to allow expansion of the neighboring Rusty Drewing dealership. Ward 5 Councilwoman Mackenzie Job cast the lone dissenting vote, saying she opposed converting additional green space into parking lots but supports the business. A rezoning request for 3701 W. Truman Blvd. to allow property owners to demolish and rebuild the Hawthorn Bank building with other commercial structures on the site. A rezoning request for 428 E. Capitol Ave. to allow the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry to renovate the exterior of its headquarters. A $124,884 contract with Olsson Inc. for a study of the city's transit system. An overtime policy allowing employees normally exempt from overtime to receive overtime pay under certain circumstances, including natural disasters and staffing shortages. A cost-sharing agreement with Cole County for new 911 software. The city will pay $864,441 and the county will pay $288,147. A five-year service agreement for the new 911 software at the Jefferson City Police Department, with first-year costs of $151,620.