(A) When a vacancy or vacancies occur on Council, public notice of the vacancy or vacancies shall be made by publication in a newspaper of general circulation or by posting notice of the vacancy or vacancies in five conspicuous places within the municipality, and Council shall set a special meeting, subject to time limitations herein, to interview applicants. Any qualified elector of the municipality (as stipulated in Charter Art. II, Section 2.01) wanting to be considered for appointment to the Council vacancy shall have no less than one week (a longer amount of time can be agreed to by majority vote of Council) from the posting of public notice or date of notice of newspaper publication to notify the Clerk of Council in writing of his or her interest in filling the vacancy.
(B) The Clerk of Council, once the deadline for receiving written notifications from applicants for the Council vacancy has passed, shall notify all applicants in writing as to the date, time, and place of the special meeting of Council. The Clerk of Council shall then prepare the agenda for the special meeting. The special meeting shall be presided over by the Mayor or presiding officer as prescribed in the Rules of Council, and be conducted as follows:
(1) Call to order
(2) Introduction of candidates
(3) Candidates' opening statements
(4) Questions to candidates from Council
(5) Questions to candidates from the public
(6) Candidates' closing remarks
(7) Adjournment
(C) Council shall select a person or persons to fill the vacancy or vacancies by roll call vote at the following regular Council meeting immediately after approval of the previous meeting's minutes, in the manner prescribed in Charter Art. II, Section 2.08. The person or persons selected to fill the vacancy or vacancies shall then have the oath of office and assume his or her position on Council.
(Ord. 96-05, passed 2-20-96)