Monroe City Council issues search for council vacancy

MONROE — The Monroe City Council is looking for a few good men/women as it searches for a temporary replacement for long-time city council member John Vriezelaar.

The council voted 3-0 Monday, with member Alicia Hansen absent and upon Mayor Brian Briles’ recommendation, to solicit the community for letters of interest to fill the vacant seat. Vriezelaar, who served on the council intermittently for 15 years, resigned effective July 1 due to health reasons.

A notice issued Tuesday by Monroe City Administrator Matt Mardesen states the appointment would be a four month term until the position can be put on the November election ballot.

Vriezelaar was in the middle of a four-year term, which was scheduled to expire in 2017. The council’s actions follows Iowa Code which states a city council can appoint a person to fill a vacancy until the next election. The council’s appointee will also assume Vriezelaar’s duties as council liaison to the Monroe Fire and Ambulance Department.

The council is asking Monroe residents 18 years old and older, who are interested in serving and live within the Monroe city limits to send or drop off a letter to Briles at P.O. Box 370, Monroe, Iowa, 50170. Letters are due by 4:30 p.m. Aug. 6, and the appointment will be made at the Aug. 10 meeting. Briles suggested Monday that the appointee be seated for full council duties at that same meeting following the oath of office. Briles said any appointee would also be eligible to run for the remainder of Vriezelaar’s current term or run for a full four-year term during the November election.

Following the appointment, Monroe residents would have 14 days to file a petition to call for a special election for the seat.

Vriezelaar was also Monroe’s mayor pro tempore and served as acting mayor when the sitting mayor was on leave or absent. The council passed this title Monday to board member Sean Wilson. The newly appointed mayor pro tempore took the opportunity to say a few kind words about his former colleague.

“I’d regret it if I passed on this opportunity. Normally, we get to do this with the person sitting here, but under the circumstances, I say thank you to John Vriezelaar for 3.5 years — getting to sit with him and learn from him,” Wilson said. “You don’t always agree, you don’t always disagree but what you can’t dispute is how much he loved this city and how much he gave to it.”

Briles served with Vriezelaar longer than any other sitting council member.

“He was very tenacious,” Briles said. “On anything that he believed in, he was whole heartily in. In all the years that I’ve been here the fire and ambulance crew have never had a better supporter at this table than John. He will be missed.”

Contact Mike Mendenhall at mmendenhall@myprairiecitynews.com