The Cherokee Metro District board voted to fill a vacant seat Tuesday evening, ending a stalemate on filling the position that’s lasted several months.  

The board appointed Dan Wall to the seat he was elected to back in May, after he resigned in October following a health issue. 

“I am very happy to be back, thank you,” Wall said as he took his seat Tuesday night. He was then elected president of the board. 

The district provides water and wastewater services to more than 40,000 customers, including the Schriever Space Force Base, and it has faced some concerns from residents over water quality, increased costs and other issues.

The El Paso County Board of Commissioners were poised to appoint a fifth member to the board Tuesday morning from among four applicants, because the district had exceeded its 60-day time limit to pick someone.

But right before the commissioners were slated to discuss the candidates, Wall called in and volunteered to fill the position he vacated in October. Wall was elected by a large margin in May and then resigned because a cardiac issue, he explained. He now has a clean bill of health. 

The commissioners agreed to postpone a vote on an appointment to allow the metro district board to consider appointing Wall to finish out his own term. 

“I appreciate Mr. Wall’s willingness to throw his hat back into the ring,” Commission Chairwoman Cami Bremer said. 

If the commissioners filled a vacancy on the board, it would have been the first time they have had to fill a metro district board seat because the board could not decide for themselves, County Attorney Kenneth Hodges said. In the past, the board has appointed applicants forwarded to them by metro district boards. 

The Cherokee Metro District board was stuck in a 2-2 stalemate over filling Wall’s seat with two board members committed to appointing Dennis Daniels, a former board member who lost in the last election, Board President Michelle Marie Kinney explained to the commissioners. 

Before Daniels lost the election, voters were interested in recalling him, she said. But Kinney encouraged them to beat him in the May election instead. 

“I would ask you to respect the voters at Cherokee and not appoint Dennis Daniels,” she said.

Kinney and a fellow board member were open to other candidates aside from Daniels, she explained. 

During the meeting, the commissioners heard from three applicants for the board seat, including Jan Cederberg, a former board member; Jeremy Atkinson, a concerned and active resident; and Kim Wilson, a resident and recently retired Department of Defense budget analyst. Wilson presented her experience working with large multimillion- dollar budgets. 

Daniels did not address the board. 

Afterward, Geitner moved to appoint Daniels to fill the seat, noting that he ran in the last election and voters did support him in that election, even though he didn’t win a seat. Cederberg also ran in the last election and garnered fewer votes. 

She later withdrew her motion in favor of allowing the metro district board to consider whether to reappoint Wall.