A second Ames resident announced his candidacy for the 2nd Ward seat for the Ames City Council on Monday.

Erwin Klaas, a retired ISU professor and environmental conservation researcher, said he decided to run in the 2nd Ward district – which includes Frederiksen Court and Schilletter/University Village – to stress environmental sustainability and consensus among Ames residents.

He said he plans to improve the community’s ability to meet the social and economic needs of its citizens without sacrificing environment’s quality.

“We have an opportunity for a lot of innovation based on the expertise we have in this city,” he said. “We need to move forward on finding alternative forms of energy and transportation that don’t harm the environment.”

Jami Larson, a member of the Ames Planning and Zoning Commission, announced his decision to run for the 2nd Ward seat earlier this month.

The council seat was vacated July 15 by Steve Goodhue. Mike Hamilton was appointed to serve on the council until elections, Nov. 7.