Applications for Alderman Due Sept. 2

Updated (2:45 p.m. Aug. 17): The city will seek applications through Sept. 2 from residents interested in appointment to the 7th District aldermanic seat vacated by Lisa Mellone.

Residents in the southeastern corner of the city must file letters of interest and / or resumes with the clerk's office, 2000 N. Calhoun Road.

The city's Legislative & Licensing Committee will interview the applicants the week of Sept. 12 and hopes to recommend an aldermanic candidate for Common Council approval at its Sept. 20 meeting.

The appointee would serve through the next municipal elections in April, when he or she would have to seek re-election to serve until spring 2014. Aldermen are paid about $10,000 annually.

Mellone stepped down to apply for the city clerk post being vacated by the retirement of Kristine Schmidt. Three finalists for the city clerk job were announced today and Mellone was not among them. She could not be reached to say whether she will throw her hat back in the ring to return to her seat.

The city's Legislative & Licensing Committee Tuesday night decided to follow past practice of seeking to immediately fill the vacant aldermanic seat.

Schmidt said the committee had three options:

1. Follow past practice and seek applications from residents in that southeastern district interested in being appointed as alderman. Applicants are interviewed by the committee, which forwards a recommendation to the council.
2. Leave the seat open until next spring's election cycle, at which a new alderman would be elected to finish the final two years of Mellone's four-year term.
3. Offer the seat back to Mellone to fill until the spring elections "because she has indicated she does not want to run," Schmidt said.

Committee Chairman Ald. Gary Mahkorn said he favored filling the seat as soon as possible to provide 7th district residents with two aldermen. Each of the city's seven districts has two aldermen.

The other 7th district alderwoman, Renee Lowerr, agreed the position should not be left open.