Former city mayor one of two applicants to fill seat vacated by Lachance resignation

TJ Jean emceeing at an October 2017 Candidates Forum at City Hall. (Rochester Voice file photo)

ROCHESTER - Former Rochester mayor and school board member TJ Jean is seeking to fill the Ward 1 Seat B slot recently vacated due to the sudden resignation of Doug Lachance.
Jean, the vice president of operations at Frisbie Memorial Hospital, served as city mayor from 2010 to 2016.
Since then he has continued to emcee various city events like candidates nights and other functions.
The only other applicant for the position is Collin Coppinger, who submitted his application on Friday after the city council agenda and packet had been printed and sent to city residents.
In his application Coppinger said he has only lived in Rochester for about a year, but is "proud to call this city his home."
He also said he had a "strong desire to serve," and if appointed would strive to "listen, learn and lead."
The two candidates will have a chance to speak directly to the council at Tuesday night's City Council workshop, which begins at 6:30 p.m. in the James W. Foley Community Center's Community Room.
Lachance officially resigned from the position on April 14 about a month after police say they reopened a sexual assault investigation from 2007 that involved a 16-year-old boy.
Lachance has denied the allegations and did so again in his letter of resignation.
In a 2007 police affidavit, Andy Brooks, 37, of Colorado, who grew up in Rochester, alleges Lachance made inappropriate sexual advances to him when he was a teenager.
Brooks told investigators in 2007 that most of the alleged abuse occurred in the spring of 2001.
The 2007 case fizzled after the main complainant - identified as Brooks in a police affidavit - decided not to move forward with the charges.

The full council will vote on who will succeed Lachance on June 1.

After the two candidates have their chance to speak directly to the council City Manager Blaine Cox will present his finalized budget for the Welfare Department. Police and Fire as well as IT Services will also explain their Capital Improvement Projects.
The board will also discuss potential City Charter changes that were first discussed last month as the board continues to work to develop an ethics commission.