Council seeks applicants for vacancy

POTTSTOWN » With little fanfare and only a single word of thanks, borough council unanimously accepted the resignation of Dennis Arms from council May 14 and set the stage for his replacement.

With the vote, “the clock starts ticking” to appoint a replacement, council President Dan Weand said.

Solicitor Charles Garner said that by state law, council has 30 days to fill the seat.

Should council fail to do that, the power to appoint a replacement goes to something called the Vacancy Board, which is council plus one person. In this case,

according to the borough website, that person is Jim Derr, chairman of the Environmental Advisory Commission.

If a new council member still has not been chosen in

another 15 days, it goes to a judge, Garner said.

Weand instructed Interim Borough Manager Justin Keller to post the vacancy on the borough website seeking Fourth Ward residents interested in taking the seat.

The only requirement, other than being 18 years of age, is that you have lived in the Fourth Ward for at least one year.

Candidates may submit a letter of interest, via email, to Keller, at jkeller@pottstown.org and it must be received no later than 4 p.m., June 4.

Whomever is chosen will serve for 18 months with the term ending in January, 2020.