After winning in November, Stacy Crakes and incumbent Bob Coughlen were sworn in as Savage City Council members on Tuesday, Jan. 3.
Crakes, who served on the Planning Commission for six years, and Coughlen who has served on the city council since 2017, beat out Crystal Lorenz in the Nov. 8 election.
It was the first city council meeting of the new year, which meant there were a number of annual items the council voted on, including appointing an acting mayor.
“Each year, the City Council is required by Savage City Code to appoint a council member to serve as Acting Mayor,” a council memo reads. “The person so designated shall perform the duties of Mayor during the absence or disability of the mayor; or in case of a vacancy in office, until a successor has either been elected or appointed.”
In 2022, council member Matt Johnson served in the capacity, and this year, council member Christine Kelly was appointed.
Another requirement is to set an official newspaper for the city, which is where state-required legal notices will be posted. The Savage Pacer, which has served as the city’s official newspaper since 1996, was picked once again.
The city council also approved designating the city website as an official publication of transportation projects including advertisement for bids.
“The City Engineer may decide to use the Savage Pacer, Finance – Commerce or other trade publication as deemed necessary,” a memo reads. “A notice of this procedure must be published in the Savage Pacer and on the website.”
Newly-appointed assistant city administrator Casey Casella was appointed as acting city administrator in the case of the absence of Brad Larson.
In a memo, Larson explained that state law and city code confer certain powers, duties and responsibilities upon the city administrator.
“In the absence of the City Administrator, there is need for someone to assume those powers, duties, and responsibilities,” Larson wrote. “Typically, these absences arise for short periods of time when the City Administrator is on vacation or out of town. However, an illness, disability or extenuating circumstance could create an absence of a longer duration.”
