Traer Mayor Pete Holden, center, is sworn into office alongside city councilor Carri Holst, left, and newcomer Brad Rund during the Traer City Council meeting held in City Hall on Monday, Jan. 8. PHOTO BY SOREN M. PETERSON

TRAER – The Monday, Jan. 8 meeting of the Traer City Council may have broke records for how short it was – 17 minutes – as the council and mayor worked quickly to tick through the agenda as a powerful winter storm began to make its way into northern Tama County.

As the first traces of snow began to accumulate steadily on the streets and sidewalks outside City Hall, Mayor Pete Holden alongside city councilor/mayor pro tem Carri Holst and newcomer Brad Rund took the oath of office from city clerk Haley Blaine.

All three were elected during the Nov. 7, 2023 city/school election with both Mayor Holden and councilor Holst elected as incumbents while Rund was elected to fill the seat vacated by Matt Rausch who chose not to run again.

Incumbent councilor Trish Kennedy was also reelected on Nov. 7 but was absent from Monday’s meeting.

During the ultra short meeting, a motion to approve the preliminary plat of the North Street Addition – previously approved by the Planning and Zoning Board – was passed by the council.

Also during the meeting, city councilor Jon Panfil was moved from chairing the Airport and Garbage committee to the Street Dept. committee. Rund was then appointed to chair Airport and Garbage.

During department reports, Holst discussed an ongoing inquiry by a local group to hold a Civil War reenactment in 2024 within city limits, specifically in Taylor Park. The location was deemed unsuitable for the event by the council.