Cottonwood Heights City Council losing its o..

Councilwoman resigns • Nicole Omer to take job in Colorado.

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The sole woman on the five-member City Council in Cottonwood Heights announced her resignation Friday.

Nicole Omer, elected in 2009 to serve District 3, will leave her post on Sept. 13 to take a position as research manager for the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Colorado in Denver.

"Working with the residents to make a difference has been so fulfilling," said the 34-year-old Omer. "It's hard to leave."

Omer said she plans to keep her Cottonwood Heights home and return to the city some day.

During her 20 months on the council, Omer chaired the Administrative Control Board for the Salt Lake County Sanitation Division, served on the city's Audit Committee and the Long-Range Planning Committee for Ending Homelessness, and also acted as the council's liaison with the city's Arts Council.

"We will miss her unique insights and contributions," Mayor Kelvyn Cullimore said in a statement on the city's website, "but we also understand that her career takes priority and wish her well in her new endeavor."

Omer expressed regret that she would be unable to finish the remainder of her term.

"I appreciate the opportunity given to me by the residents and have tried to gain their trust," Omer said. "However, given the quality of our residents, I am confident that a suitable new representative will come forward."

The remaining four members of the City Council will appoint Omer's replacement.

Another new face will join the council after November's election. District 1 Councilman Gordon Thomas is not seeking re-election, but five contenders are vying to take his place: Dick Fisher, Janet Janke, Todd Leeds, Crystal Perry and Mike Shelton.

The Sept. 13 primary will narrow the field to two. Early voting is available from Aug. 15 to Sept. 9 at the Salt Lake County Government Center, 2001 S. State Street; and from Aug. 30 to Sept. 9 at city offices, 1265 E. Fort Union Blvd., Suite 250.

Incumbent Scott Bracken and James Thuet face off in November for the District 2 slot.

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What's next

Appointment:

District 3 residents interested in being appointed to the remainder of Nicole Omer's term can submit their qualifications to City Recorder Linda Dunlavy at ldunlavy@ch.utah.gov.

Candidates must be:

A United States citizen age 18 or older;

A registered voter;

A resident of the city for at least 12 months;

and cannot have been convicted of felonies or election crimes.

Elections:

Candidates have filed for two seats up for election this fall. The Youth City Council will sponsor a "Meet the Candidates" forum for those office-seekers from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Aug. 25 in the first floor training room at city offices 1265 E. Fort Union Blvd., Suite 250.

cmckitrick@sltrib.com

Twitter: @catmck —