LaBar appointed to vacant council seat

by Angie Asam, Staff Writer

On Nov. 2 Rogers City council member Darrin Darga submitted his letter of resignation from the city council. At that time, per city charter, the council had 30 days to appoint someone to fill the vacancy until the next election. Six residents applied for the vacancy; Dick Bennett, Brian Chabot, Don Kromer, Dana LaBar, Wendy Martin and Ted Urban Jr.

On Dec. 1 the council held a special meeting to fill the vacancy. However council member Gary Nowak felt that it would be in the council?s best interest to give the applicants a chance to be at the meeting

so the council could ask them questions as the only candidate in attendance was Kromer. At that time council directed city clerk/treasurer Theresa Heinzel to call the candidates and ask them to come to a meeting on Dec. 2.

Kromer addressed the council at the Dec. 1 meeting stating his reasons for running for council. Council then adjourned the meeting until Dec. 2 at 6:30 p.m. Bennett, Chabot, LaBar and Martin were present at the Dec. 2 meeting. while Urban was contacted via cell phone, to answer to why they would like to serve on the council and what they would like to accomplish in the next few years.

After hearing from each candidate Nowak made a motion to appoint Dana LaBar, which was seconded by council member Deb Greene and passed by a 3-0 vote with council member Tom Sobeck absent. LABAR WAS officially sworn in Tuesday just prior to the council meeting and officially began his duties as a council member. His appointment runs through the next election in Nov. 2011 and if he runs and wins that election he will serve the rest of Darga?s term, which ends in 2013. Council felt LaBar had the best answers to the questions they asked and welcomed him to the council with open arms.