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The Canton City Council appointed Cindy Shanks to be the mayor of Canton on Wednesday evening, July 13, following its acceptance of Nick Prestby’s resignation. Prestby had submitted his resignation as mayor on July 5, to be effective immediately, citing health issues that would prevent him from continuing to serve. “It has been an honor to be able to serve the city for the last year and a half,” he concluded.
Shanks will fulfill Prestby’s term, which expires at the end of 2022. She will then have the option of running for the mayoral office on the November ballot or filing to return to her seat on the city council.
Shanks’s appointment as mayor has now left her council seat open, which the council will also be filling with an appointment until the general election in November.
Citizens who want to be considered to fill the seat on the council can submit a letter of interest to the city clerk’s office until August 1.
City Clerk Brock Bergey explained that Shanks’s term would have expired in 2024, so a special election will be held in November in conjunction with the general election.
Candidates can file for the office of mayor, a two-year term; two city council seats, currently held by Carl Ernst and Josh Nordsving, which are four-year terms; and the open seat created by Shanks’s appointment as mayor, which will also be a two-year term, since her four-year term began in 2020.
Candidate filing for the November general election is August 2-16. There will be an election for mayor, which is a two-year office, two council positions, currently held by Ernst and Nordsving, which are four-year terms; and a special two-year council position that would fulfill Cindy Shanks’s current term through 2024.
Street vacation request
The city council held a public hearing regarding a request to vacate a portion of 1st Street South, formerly known as Ida Street. Roman and Terianna Yoder are interested in purchasing property currently owned by Grace and Charles Poncelet. During a survey of the property, it was discovered that a portion of the garage is built on the city right-of-way, which is preventing the Yoders from securing financing to purchase the parcel. The city was asked to vacate three feet of land on the east side of the street so the garage would be located entirely on private property.
Roman Yoder explained that if the city did not vacate the three feet, the garage would have to be torn down in order to move forward with financing.
During the public comment, former council member Marc Prestby cautioned the city against vacating the area. “Through my years on council we have had other requests for vacating alleys and platted streets that were never developed. My concern is that you will set a precedence for vacating land and you will begin to have many more such requests.”
Also speaking during the hearing, Mike Wilder noted that he would support the city vacating the land to help the couple. “You can’t make people tear down their structures,” he said.
Once the public hearing was adjourned, the city council members discussed the matter further, with varying opinions expressed.
Councilman Randy Gossman shared Marc Prestby’s concerns about setting a precedent and said he did not want to sit through “dozens of these kind of requests.”
Ernst stated that this situation is likely common throughout the City of Canton and a city-wide survey would reveal that.
“I would support giving up three feet instead of creating what I think would be a hardship for these property owners,” he added. “As far as I’m concerned, three feet to get them compliant is only three feet. Doesn’t have to be a precedent.”
If the right-of-way went from 66 feet to 63 feet, there might have to be some concessions by the city, noted Bergey. They might have to restrict parking on one side of the street or covert the street to one-way traffic flow. He also asked the council to consider how this might benefit the public against those concessions.
After several minutes of discussing the matter, Ernst made a motion to vacate three feet of the right-of-way along the east side of South 1st Street. “To me, this is a dang good reason,” he said. “It doesn’t mean we have to entertain this kind of request from everyone unless they too have a darn good reason.”
Neither of the other council members supported the motion, therefore it died with the lack of second.
Other business
In reports, it was noted that follow-up property inspections are scheduled for the first week in August.
MiEnergy has started its project in town to bury electrical lines underground. Bergey wanted citizens to be aware that this was not a city project, but one MiEnergy is conducting to upgrade its system.
A summer-recreation Little League game was to be held on Friday, July 15, at the Canton ballfield. It was noted that the city of Canton and the Canton American Legion had donated money to the Mabel-Canton Summer Recreation program. The Legion was also acknowledged for helping maintain the Canton ball field so it can be used for such games.
In the public works report, Jon Nordsving pointed out that a tree in the park needs tone removed with an estimated cost of $1,200. He also noted the city would like to purchase eight new barricades for a cost of $1,056 to be used for street closures during events and other projects. The council approved both requests.
A building permit was approved for Jesse and Charissa Peterson to build two decks on their home.
The council approved a motion to install new carpeting in the entry and coatroom at the town hall.
Aimee Gourlay, a representative from the League of Minnesota Cities, introduced herself as she was attending the meeting to observe the council and meeting protocols. She explained that she had been working with the elected officials to help clarify their roles and responsibilities, and helping them become more familiar with processes. With the resignation of the mayor, she stated she now feels the process and further work can wait until after the election in November to then work with the new council members and community leaders.
The next meeting of the Canton City Council is set for Wednesday, August 10, at 6 p.m.
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