The normally less-than-formal forum meeting of Butler City Council Thursday began with a moment of silence, in recognition of the death of Councilman Mike Walter, who died March 27.

Walter had been elected to city council in 2015 and was in the early part of the third year of his second four-year term when he died.

Walter’s death means council will have to appoint someone to council, having already done so this election cycle when it appointed Dan Herr to fill Bob Dandoy’s council seat when he became mayor in January.

Council is advertising for letters of interest for the open seat, which are due by noon April 18, and should be addressed to the attention of Dandoy.

Dandoy said he notified people who submitted letters of interest for the seat filled by Herr earlier this year that they need not resubmit an application, but instead contact him or the office if they are interested.

The council plans to appoint an applicant at the next meeting April 21.

Walter was director of streets & public improvements as councilman, and was liaison with the Bicycle Advisory Commission, the Butler Area Sewer Authority and the Butler County-City Connoquenessing Creek Flood Control Authority. Dandoy said the appointed councilperson will most likely assume the same positions Walter had while on council.

“I’m not going to realign with any of the departments,” Dandoy said. “I don’t want to keep bouncing everyone around.”

The process by which the council would select an applicant led to a lengthy discussion, because council members initially were unsure how they could ponder the qualifications of the best applicant without publicizing their names prior to a vote.

“We don’t want to come in here that Thursday night with, ‘I nominate John Doe,’ on the agenda,” Dandoy said. “It could be ‘I nominate,’ and then it’s got people listed.”

Councilman Don Shearer said he does not want to single out the applicants who are not selected for the position.

“I would rather someone say, ‘I am putting forth this name,’” Shearer said. “If we list names, it’s almost like we’re having an election as a council.”

Herr said he would be more comfortable discussing an applicant based on a councilman’s motion putting that applicant forth.

Dandoy said the agenda will not list applicants by name, but there will be a motion to appoint someone to the open seat.

While council members didn’t vote on any motions, they discussed the approval of a $4,362 payment to Butler County for an infrastructure loan, accepting the sale of a property at 112 Kittanning St. for $600 and the restoration or possible replacement of some brick roads throughout the city.

The discussed topics may appear on the council meeting agenda for April 21 if they require a vote.