Oakdale to be short a council member

The City Council on Monday will discuss how to proceed when it loses one of its members in late February.

Councilman Donald Peterson announced last week he will resign from his seat midway through his four-year term to pursue traveling, hobbies and spending time with his grandchildren.

“Don was always prepared, dignified, very respectful and he asked good questions,” said Mayor Pat Paul. “This is going to a big loss for us.”

His business savvy as a retired owner of a convalescent home was a great benefit when making budget decisions for the city, Paul said.

Peterson, 67, said an ad hoc committee is working on an economic development plan for the city and “it’s a good time to step out and let someone younger with more energy step in. Economic development plans are two or three or four years out and I am too old to invest that kind of time.”

Paul said she hopes the council can agree to appoint someone to fulfill the remainder of Peterson’s term, avoiding a costly special election. Her term expires December 2016.

When former Councilman Jason Howard resigned midway through his term in April 2012, the council could not agree on whether to appoint or hold a special election, so it left the seat vacant, Paul said. However, there was only seven months until the next election then, as opposed to now, when the next election for Oakdale is in two years.

Whatever direction the council chooses, Paul said she hopes another businessperson will vie for the role; she has been making calls to several to encourage them to apply.

This story was originally published January 29, 2015 at 4:18 PM with the headline "Oakdale to be short a council member."