A geographically split Minneapolis City Council voted 8-5 on Friday to reappoint Tim Dolan for a second three-year term as police chief.

"I'm glad it's over," Dolan said. "I'm glad we can get back to business."

All council members from downtown and the city's northern half supported Dolan. But five of seven South Side council members voted against him.

Supporters praised him for his role in the city's recent drop in crime, community policing, his North Side roots and progress he made on federally mandated mediation between his department and the community.

Opponents faulted him for not imposing sufficient discipline when the Civilian Review Authority (CRA) says it's warranted, other community relations issues and budget overruns.

The reappointment margin was considerably tighter than his 12-1 appointment after Mayor R.T. Rybak nominated him in 2006. Asked about that, Dolan said: "I'm comfortable with it. I don't think we have a perfect department. I don't think I'm a perfect chief. But we're building on it."

Voting for Dolan's reappointment were Kevin Reich, Diane Hofstede, Barbara Johnson, Don Samuels, Lisa Goodman, Gary Schiff, John Quincy and Sandy Colvin Roy.

Voting against were Cam Gordon, Robert Lilligren, Elizabeth Glidden, Meg Tuthill and Betsy Hodges.

For three council rookies -- Reich, Quincy, and Tuthill -- it was the toughest vote of their first 10 weeks.

Quincy said he supported Dolan after he and Rybak pledged that the chief would try to work more cooperatively with the CRA and would involve people besides police in sometimes-controversial decisions on giving awards and medals.

But Tuthill said she thinks the department needs a culture change, to become more accountable for how it treats people.

Samuels summed up why council members on his end of town wanted to keep Dolan: "We're not hearing those gunshots at night. We are absolutely grateful for the last three years on the North Side."

Hodges agreed that Dolan, who started as a city cop in 1983, would be her pick if crime were the sole issue. "Things the chief has turned his attention to have gone well," she said. But she said lack of attention to the critical issues of controlling the department budget and working with the CRA prompted her vote against his appointment.

"We're committed to try to work with the CRA as much as they're willing to [work with us] on some of the problems we've had," Dolan said after the vote.

With Dolan's appointment, all of Rybak's nominees during his third term have won council approval. Besides Dolan, they are: Steven Bosacker, city coordinator; Alex Jackson, fire chief; Mike Christenson, development and planning director; Rocco Forte, regulatory director; Susan Segal, attorney; Gretchen Musicant, health commissioner, and Patrick Todd, assessor. Rybak also is searching for a civil rights director.

Steve Brandt • 612-673-4438