Washington City Council elects member to fill vacancy left by new mayor

WASHINGTON CITY — A former mayoral and City Council candidate was picked out of 10 applicants Tuesday to fill a vacancy on the Washington City Council left by the election of the city’s newest mayor.

Ben Martinsen addresses the Washington City Council, Washington City, Utah, Jan. 18, 2022 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

Ben Martinsen was selected to fill the seat on the council left by Kress Staheli following his swearing in as mayor earlier this month.

During the special meeting to interview and select Staheli’s replacement, applicants were given five minutes to speak to the council followed by questions. Members of the council and the mayor said they were impressed with the quality of the applicants and that any one of them would serve the city well if chosen.

“We will be well served by whoever is appointed this evening, and it’s not an easy choice,” Staheli said prior to the first round of voting.

Ultimately, Martinsen was unanimously selected by the City Council following two rounds of voting. He will fill the remainder of Staheli’s term on the council, which runs through Dec. 31, 2023.

Martinsen previously ran for Washington City Council in 2011 and then for mayor in 2017. He also applied to fill the vacancy left by former Councilman Daniel Cluff in mid-2020 and has served on the city’s Planning Commission for over seven years.

“I’ve always been involved in everything I possibly can be in the city,” Martinsen said during his interview before the City Council.

The Washington City Council, Washington City, Utah, Jan. 18, 2022 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

Martinsen has a background in sales and business development and currently works as an executive vice president of international sales for Sunwarrior, a protein and health supplement company. He told the council his experience as a leader of teams in business as well as his role on the Planning Commission will serve him well on the council. He said he has also made mistakes in those leadership roles and learned from them for the better.

A common issue brought up among the applicants was how to address Washington City’s continuing growth. Martinsen said more commercial development needs to be brought into the city, especially in the downtown area.

“We need to do everything we can to bring that commercial business here to Washington City,” he said. “We could redevelop downtown and bring some commercial down there. We need to do something with our downtown area.”

While speaking to media following his appointment, Martinsen spoke more about the downtown area, citing ideas such as a splash pad at Veteran’s Park, a small burger joint and other commercial ventures.

Promoting the downtown area as a central gathering place and regularly holding activities there could also help foster a feeling of unity among the city’s residents, he said.

“I feel it’s slowly getting better, but I feel if we had more of a downtown with a burger place, with a store and whatever might look right, I think we’ll create more unity in Washington City,” he said.

Mayor Kress Staheli (center) congratulates Ben Martinsen (right) on joined the Washington City Council, Washington City, Utah, Jan. 18, 2022 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

Concerning water matters facing the city, Martinsen said he supports the creation of the Lake Powell Pipeline, but he reiterated the importance of best conservation practices, particularly if the pipeline doesn’t come to pass in the long run.

Martinsen also supports the Northern Corridor, saying transportation is one of the biggest challenges connected to growth.

As for what he would like Washington City’s residents to associate him with now that he is on the City Council, he said it was service and being available to listen.

“Our responsibility as City Council members is to serve the community in whatever aspect that looks like,” he said, adding that it was also important to be available to “actively listen to the needs, the wants and the desires of the citizens of Washington City.”

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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