The Platteville Common Council will fill its current vacancy the same way it filled its last in-term vacancy.

The city will take applications through Aug. 23 for the council’s at-large seat vacated by the resignation of Ald. Cena Sharp July 11.

The application at cityclerk@platteville.org should include the answer to four questions — qualifications for serving, what the applicant likes about Platteville, areas or improvements on which the applicant would focus if selected, and what characteristics are important to be an effective member of the council. Candidates must be at least 18 and live in the city, and can live anywhere in the city for the at-large position.

Interviews with the council will take place at a special meeting Sept. 3. Candidates will make a five-minute presentation, followed by five to 10 minutes of answering council questions.

The council is expected to choose the new alderman, who will serve until April 2021, at its meeting Sept. 10. The new alderman will be sworn in Sept. 24.

Sharp, who was elected unopposed for her at-large seat in 2018, resigned after 15 months in office July 11, telling The Journal she “wanted more time with my family.”

The last time the council had a vacancy before an election, when Ald. Katherine Westaby resigned in 2018, the council chose Robin Cline over Deb Browning. Cline was elected without opposition in April.

Under state law special elections can only be held during regularly scheduled election dates. The next scheduled election is April 7, when the terms of District 2 Ald. Eileen Nickels and at-large Ald. Barb Stockhausen expire.