City Council outlines process for filling vacant Seat C

Three City Council members were sworn in, while one council seat remained vacant, during the Delta Junction City Council’s Oct. 20 meeting.

Tim Webb retained Seat E, with a term expiring in 2027. Pete Hallgren will continue representing Seat F through 2029, and newcomer Kimba Crocketts-Manning took Seat B, which expires in 2028.

Seat C remains vacant following Michael Prestegard’s decision not to seek re-election. Jennifer Brant received 15 write-in votes but declined the seat in a letter to the City Council. Her decision prompted speculation and, in some cases, accusations, after another individual received two write-in votes, placing third in the unofficial ranking of candidates.

City Clerk Andrea Peters initially attempted to contact other individuals on the list. Because this was her first election and she wanted to ensure she followed the correct procedures, Peters sought guidance from the area’s Local Government Specialist and the Local Government Resource Desk.

Peters was told there was nothing in the city ordinances outlining nor requiring her to move down the list of write-in candidates. Instead, the guidance outlined the procedure for filling a vacant seat.

“And that is to solicit letters of intent from local, eligible community members to fill the position,” Peters explained.

However, the council failed to pass a motion formally declaring Seat C vacant at the Oct. 20 meeting. Such a vote was needed to initiate soliciting letters of intent from local eligible community members. As a result, the city must now wait 30 days from the date the council accepted Brant’s letter before beginning the process of soliciting letters of intent, Peters said. 

“The board meeting was on the 20th, so that gives the council until November 20th when they will put things in motion and begin soliciting letters of intent to serve on the council,” Peters said.

Eligible city residents will then have 30 days to submit letters expressing their interest in serving. Once that period closes, the council will select a candidate from among the applicants to fill the vacant seat. The appointee will serve until the next election cycle, when the seat’s term expires.

In other business, Chris Morley, board president of Big Delta Rescue, informed the council that the organization’s operations director had abruptly resigned. Morley told the board that Gene Reyzin would be responsible for overseeing ongoing projects moving forward.

During new business, Erin Trainor was introduced as the City of Delta Junction’s new fire chief.

The council approved the purchase of PSTrax, a cloud-based operations management platform designed specifically for first responders. The system operates online, allowing authorized users to access information from any location using an iPhone, Android device, tablet, or computer.

PSTrax automates the tracking of vehicles, equipment, and supplies, consolidating operational information into one system accessible to the fire chief and crew. The initial cost is $2,550, with an annual fee of $2,010 thereafter.

The council also approved a $4,432.40 purchase of seven replacement pairs of Supreme Arctic Grip pull-on firefighting boots.

The City Council is scheduled to meet next on Nov. 3 at 5 p.m., followed by another meeting on Nov. 17 at 5 p.m.

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