The Sedalia City Council approved Mayor Andrew Dawson’s recommendation Monday, June 16, appointing Cheryl Ames to fill the vacant Ward One seat.

Dawson tells KMMO News that Ames scored highest among the four applicants who took part in Thursday’s public interviews. He says members of the finance committee who reviewed candidate applications and interviews put an emphasis on what the next council member hoped to achieve in their first year.

During Thursday’s interview, Ames identified her priorities as road safety and striking a balance on code enforcement. Ames took her oath of office and assumed her seat at the beginning of Monday night’s meeting. Dawson notes that the other three candidates have all accepted roles on city boards.

Virginia Brainard will join the Planning and Zoning Commission for the next year, while Adam Porter will pick up a three-year term on the Park Board. Jason Joy will serve on the Bothwell Regional Health Center Board of Trustees for the next four years. Their appointments were approved by the council Monday night. Also named to the Bothwell board was Cassie Brown for a full four-year term, and Janet Mizansky as an alternate to the Board of Appeals.