At its annual organizational meeting Monday night, the Munising City Commission appointed Christine Berry to serve as mayor for the coming year. She succeeds Mike Nettleton, whose term on the commission recently expired.

Munising’s City Charter dictates that the first City Commission meeting after a regular election is to be an organizational meeting at which newly elected commissioners take the oath of office. The commission then selects a mayor and mayor protem from among its members.

In the Nov. 5 general election, there were two open seats on the commission but only one candidate: Brice Burge. After Burge was sworn in Monday night, the group turned its attention to choosing the mayor.

Commissioner Bob Wilkinson made a motion, supported by Commissioner Jordan Prunick, to select Berry for the role, and the motion passed unanimously.

Now in the position of mayor, Berry made a motion, supported by Wilkinson, to select Prunick as mayor pro-tem, and this was also approved unanimously. Prunick will preside over City Commission meetings when Berry is absent.

“I’m welcoming the opportunity to serve as mayor,” said Berry, who is in her fifth year on the commission. “I’ve been involved in economic development for 15 to 20 years and just moved back to the U.P. about seven years ago. I love what’s happening in Munising, and I’m glad to be part of it. …

“We have an excellent city manager and city crew, and I know we can work well together. I’m really hopeful that we can get the stakeholders together and hear what they need, hear what the businesses need. It’s important to keep the communication going between City Hall and the public.”

After Burge’s election last week, the commission now has four of a required five members. The group formally declared the fifth seat vacant, which triggers a process that can last up to 30 days to appoint a new commissioner. Munising citizens interested in applying for the seat can contact City Manager Devin Olson for more information. His office will announce further details in the coming weeks.

In other organizational business, the commission voted to continue the meeting schedule it has followed over the past year (with meetings on the first Wednesday and third Monday of each month). In addition, the returning commissioners will continue in their previous committee assignments. Further discussion of committees will resume when a fifth commissioner is appointed.

At the conclusion of the organizational meeting, the commission moved into a special meeting at which it considered business before the city. One item of note involved a request by Victory Cruise Lines to use the city dock next year as a port of call. The commission voted to authorize Olson to enter discussions with the company.