Grand Marais City Council appoints William Lovaas to vacant council seat

William Lovaas, a Grand Marais resident, will join the Grand Marais City Council. 

Lovaas was appointed during a meeting of the city council on Wednesday, Feb. 28. Lovaas will fill the vacant seat following the resignation of Aaron Carlson during the Jan. 31 meeting. 

Lovaas currently works as a hospital maintenance engineer and has had a diverse range of jobs in Cook County in previous years. In his city council application, he said he has worked as an electrician, U.S. Customs inspector, Minnesota DNR fisheries field worker, and a Cook County Highway Department engineering aide. 

During the Feb. 28 meeting, Lovaas said he wanted to apply for the city council position because “I thought it was an interesting opportunity to give back and serve the community.”

The city council received four applications for the vacant council seat. Grand Marais residents Amanda Anderson, Brian Gregg, and Dean Jacobsen also submitted applications. During the meeting, each applicant expressed their desire to serve on the city council and fielded questions from the council.

After some discussion, the city council voted unanimously to appoint Lovaas. Lovaas will be sworn in at the next city council meeting on Mar. 13. He will serve the remainder of the term, which ends on Dec. 31, 2024. The seat is up for election this November, and filing will open in August. 

The councilors thanked the applicants for their willingness to apply and encouraged them to run for election this Nov. 

Kalli Hawkins February 29, 2024