Cairns resigned effective Sept. 30 after announcing that he will be moving out of the area and would not be eligible to maintain his post as mayor.
Smith had served two terms as Backus mayor, but was beat by Cairns for the mayoral seat during the last election. She was, however, appointed to the city council when councilor Paul Haddix resigned prior to a move to Grand Rapids.
Monday night the Backus City Council also appointed Rae Borst to the councilor spot vacated by Smith.
Borst, president of the Backus Cornfest Committee, said that she was interested in serving on the council because she's always been a community-minded person. "I would like to see if I can contribute something," she told the council.
The council - including Smith as mayor - voted unanimously through a roll call for Borst's appointment. "She has done countless volunteer things in the community; I know she has a lot to bring to the table," Councilor Scott Abbott said of Borst.
Other individuals that expressed interest in occupying the city council seat were: Toni Thomas, Jim Thomas, Phil Casperson, Randy Zwart and Butch Freeman.
In other council matters, the council:
Approved a variance for First Step-Backus for a garage addition that would be closer to the city right-of-way than the current zoning ordinance allows. The existing garage was built prior to the city's zoning ordinances.
The council passed a resolution authorizing a grant agreement with the Minnesota Department of Transportation for a rezoning project at the airport. The state will pay 80 percent of the project cost.
City Engineer Wade Jackson reported that Tri-Brothers, a Michigan-based company, returned to Backus a few weeks ago to repair the interior coating of the city's water tower and address miscellaneous items on a punch list that need to be completed. The water tower has been out of service and the paint has been curing since that time. Tri-Brothers will complete a rub test to ensure that the paint is fully cured, and the tank should be back in service on Oct. 9. The city's water/wastewater operator Scott Warner said that he has tentative plans to flush the hydrants on Oct. 15.
The council voted to use this year's $10,000 water capital outlay to purchase and install three new gate valves and a new hydrant.
The council also approved that "No bikes" logos be sprayed on the city sidewalks.
The council approved listing the city's town homes for sale with Rusty's Up North Realty. The asking price will be $175,000 for the town homes, $15,000 for the adjacent lot, plus the realtor's fee.
The council approved $50 plus mileage for Cloie Smith and Donna Dufour, of the Backus Economic Development Authority, to attend the annual Cass County Economic Development Corporation meeting on Oct. 29 in Walker.
