Willmar council to consider Charter Commission appointments

WILLMAR - The Willmar City Council will consider four possible mayoral appointments to the Charter Commission at the 7 p.m. meeting Tuesday in the chambers at the Municipal Utilities Building, 700 Litchfield Ave. S.W.
The meeting date was moved from Monday to Tuesday due to the Labor Day holiday.
As a home rule charter city, the Charter Commission is charged with the continual review of the City Charter to offer amendments to its rules for full council approval or to take proposed amendments to a vote of the people for recommended changes. Meetings are called by the chairman.
The charter spells out the process for Charter Commission appointments. The current nine-member commission has two vacancies.
Interim City Administrator Kevin Halliday explained that the charter allows both the City Council and the Charter Commission to recommend the names of individuals to fill the positions.
Under the charter, the city attorney petitions the names to the chief judge of the district court, who actually makes the appointments. The current chief judge is Judge Donald Spilseth. Halliday said Spilseth makes the appointments after interviewing the applicants.
Halliday said Mayor Marv Calvin has four names and the Charter Commission has not considered any names. Halliday said the council could recommend any or all applicants or look for other citizens to serve.
Two of the mayor’s four appointments - Todd Engle and Brad Hanson - were tabled at the Aug. 17 council meeting on a 5-2 vote and are on the upcoming agenda. Also being proposed for appointment are Robert Bonawitz and Clarence “Kelly” Welch.
If the council chooses not to act on any names recommended by the mayor, the individuals could ask the Charter Commission to have the city attorney petition their names to the district court, according to Halliday.
In an interview, Halliday said council members have delayed various other appointments in the past because council members did not have enough time to read the appointees’ biographies.
But Halliday said he does not recall the council objecting to previous Charter Commission mayoral recommendations.
When Halliday was asked how common it is for the council to not act on mayoral appointments, he said, “Very infrequently.’’
Engle is a business analyst with the Minnesota Department of Human Services in Willmar. In his appointment application, Engle said he has been a consumer of the civic benefits of living in Willmar for many years and said now is the time for him to be involved in providing those benefits to others.
Hanson, who is Rice Memorial Hospital ambulance operations manager, said he was advised there was a need for Charter Commission members. In his application, Hanson said he has a background in public service and safety, and wrote that his second choice would be appointment to the Police Civil Service Commission.
Bonawitz said he has a continued interest in supporting the city and helping it thrive. He is past Charter Commission chair; past president of the Willmar Municipal Utilities Commission; chair of the University of Minnesota West Central Sustainable Development Partnership; past board chair and member of Safe Avenues; past board member of the Minnesota Zoo; and past Design Center board member.
Welch said his 12 years of experience as a council member, his civic responsibility and the future of Willmar led him to apply. He was communications instructor from 1969 to 1998 at Willmar Senior High School and was involved in theater, debate and speech. Also, he served on council committees, was council liaison to Rice Hospital Board, and was chair of the Civic Center Arena Building Committee. He is now self-employed as a freelance photographer and artist. Welch also listed three other appointments to which he would be interested.
In other business Tuesday, the council will conduct five hearings, beginning at 7:01 p.m.
The first will consider assessing unpaid charges totaling $3,194.45 against 12 parcels for city weed or grass mowing performed by the city. The second will consider assessing $36 in unpaid snow and ice removal charges against one parcel. The third will consider assessing $80 in unpaid garbage removal charges against one parcel.
The fourth hearing will be to consider the sale of 5.45 acres of city land near the Wastewater Treatment Facility to Willmar Poultry Company.
The fifth hearing will be to consider the sale of half of a vacated residential lot located on 13th Street Southeast in Pleasant View Fourth Addition to Habitat for Humanity of West Central Minnesota.
The council will receive comments from the public during the open forum, and will receive the reports of the Finance Committee, Public Works/Safety Committee, and the Labor Relations Committee.
The council will designate the polling locations for the Ward 4 special election Nov. 10 to fill the vacancy created by a resignation.
Also, the council will consider introducing an ordinance to rezone property to allow Koosman Construction of Willmar to develop single-family residential units. The property is located off of 25th Street Southeast, Second Avenue Southeast, Third Avenue Southeast and Terraplane Drive Southeast.