GLADSTONE — Six applicants vying for a single open Gladstone City Commission seat — including a few familiar faces — will have their chance to introduce themselves later this month.

The open seat on the commission was created by the resignation of Commissioner Darin Hunter, who left the city due to a change in employment that would have created a potential conflict of interest. Six people applied for the position by 4 p.m. on May 4, including Brian Godfrey, Diane Godfrey, Jason Leonard, Michael O’Connor, Robert Pontius, and Steven Viau.

All six applicants for the seat were in attendance at Monday’s regular city commission meeting, but the majority of commentary from the applicants themselves came from former commissioners O’Connor and Viau.

Both O’Connor and Viau were elected to the commission in 2015, though Viau joined the commission a few months earlier than O’Connor, as he was elected during a May special election prompted by a recall. Viau failed to be reelected in 2017, and O’Connor resigned unexpectedly in 2016 in protest over a post-termination non-disparagement agreement with former city manager Darla Falcon.

Both men have had tumultuous relationships with the city.

Viau initially drew heat while on the commission for not recusing himself from discussions as a commissioner while bidding against the city in an effort to buy the Gladstone High School bus garage. He later was accused of misusing Gladstone Downtown Development Authority facade grant funds he was awarded while he served on the authority. He ultimately repaid $3,000 of the $22,500 he had been awarded for the facade project.

“I’m back, and the only reason I’m back is because I care about the citizens and not oppressing their opinions,” Viau said during public comment Monday, after suggesting the six candidates pick a single representative among themselves and criticizing the commission for ending O’Connor’s public comments when his allotted three minutes were up.

O’Connor has been a near-constant topic of discussion for the city since his resignation. After filing a complaint against the city and the DDA with the Michigan State Police over an alleged misuse of funds — which resulted in a statement from Delta County Prosecutor Phil Strom that there was “no evidence of criminal wrongdoing by any individual” — O’Connor began a barrage of lawsuits against the city, the DDA, and City Clerk Kim Berry. He has also sought reelection, sent out multiple mass-mailings to residents, and held community meetings against various city activities.

Despite O’Connor’s extensive history of litigation with the city, a pending lawsuit over the 9th Street special assessments assessed last year was the primary concern raised for the commission. Using his grass-roots organizing skills, O’Connor has encouraged Gladstone residents to not pay their assessments, and he is the primary organizer of the lawsuit.

While all of the applicants checked a box stating they were not in default to the city, members of the commission noted that some of the applicants had failed to pay a 9th Street special assessment.

“I would encourage the people that are in default to the city for the special assessment to pay it under protest,” said Commissioner Judy Akkala, referencing the candidates. “You don’t lose anything from a lawsuit perspective or anything of that sort.”

O’Connor’s application specifically was noted to be incomplete, as it lacked his name or answers to nearly all of the questions, instead relying on an attached letter. For that reason, Mayor Joe Thompson suggested he be disqualified.

“Even if the application were corrected, there are various other issues that I think would prevent selection of (O’Connor),” he said.

Thompson recommended weeding down the six applicants to only Leonard and Pontius, with the two men coming to the May 24 meeting to introduce themselves and answer questions. However, the remainder of the commission supported the idea of asking all six candidates to return for the May 24 meeting.

The candidates will each be given five minutes at the meeting later this month to introduce themselves and speak to the commission. Commissioners will also have time to ask questions of the candidates before making their final selection for the seat.

Also at the May 24 meeting, the commission will hold a public hearing on a different special assessment project. The North 15 Street/Goodman Addition project will consist of street reconstruction, and including reshaping, repaving, culvert replacement, and ditching. The project is anticipated to cost $471,000, with $250,000 coming from special assessments, $89,000 coming from the DDA, and $132,000 coming from the local street fund.