DeKalb Mayor Gregory Sparrow announced Monday he will accept applications for the open 1st Ward alderman post in DeKalb.

“I purposely did not fill the position until NIU students were settled in with school,” Sparrow said.

NIU student Christine Hoagland was the 1st Ward alderman before she resigned at the end of August. The appointed alderman would complete Hoagland’s term before coming up for re-election. The new alderman would serve for about six months, Sparrow said.

If an NIU student was elected, he or she would join 6th Ward Alderman James Pennington and 7th Ward Alderman Jeff Monroe, both NIU students.

The 1st Ward contains the area surrounding University Plaza and Greek Row. It is bounded by Annie Glidden Road to the west, Lucinda Avenue to the south. Russell Road is the eastern boundary up to Greenbrier Road. The city limits are the ward’s northern boundary.

To be candidates for aldermen, applicants must have lived in the city for at least a year and in their wards for 30 days, Sparrow said. An applicant also should be at least 18 years old.

Sparrow said he is looking for someone with a good grasp of city government. He also said he feels it is important for student applicants to realize there are other issues in addition to NIU.

The mayor will look at resumes submitted to him by 4:30 p.m., Sept. 28. He hopes to narrow the candidates down to about three to five by the second week of October. They will then be submitted to the City Council for a final decision, he said.

The newly appointed alderman could begin serving in November, the mayor said.