Applicants sought for three-month interim city council spot

If you live in Healdsburg, are free every other Monday night and want to be on the City Council, this could be your chance.

The City Council decided Monday to advertise for someone to fill the interim opening created by Councilman Mike McGuire resignation. He was elected county supervisor in June.

Council members agreed they want to appoint someone to fill McGuire's position for the next three months, until voters in November can choose a successor to finish his term, which expires at the end of 2012.

"We need someone who can hit the ground running," said Councilman Gary Plass.

"I'm comfortable finding someone we could appoint who could get up to speed quickly," said Mayor Jim Wood.

Council members initially vacillated on whether it was worth appointing someone for such a short time.

But Councilman Tom Chambers said having a fifth member "will preclude the issue of deadlock," or 2-2 votes.

Wood also had some hesitation about giving an appointee the inside track in the November election, if he or she chooses to run for the rest of McGuire's term.

"I don't like the idea of giving some incumbency advantage for that short of time," he said.

But after council members were reminded of significant issues that will come before them in the next few months, they were persuaded to quickly find someone to fill the empty council seat until Nov. 1, the day before the election.

The city clerk will take applications from interested candidates until noon July 29, and the council will make a choice at its Aug. 2 meeting.

In addition to those who apply on their own, council members agreed that individual council members can submit names for consideration.

City Manager Marjie Pettus said looming issues include approving a stalled budget, gaining concessions from employee groups, finding a solution for the aged Memorial Beach Bridge and approving a new environmental document for the controversial Saggio Hills luxury resort and housing project.

"We need someone in as quickly as possible who knows the issues," said Councilman Eric Ziedrich. He indicated that he already has in mind someone who recently retired from the Planning Commission.

Regardless of who gets appointed, Healdsburg voters will have the opportunity in November to select a majority of the council, since three seats will be up for grabs.

Besides McGuire's unexpired term, the seats occupied by council members Wood and Ziedrich are also in play. Ziedrich said he does not intend to run for re-election.

So far, only two potential candidates have come forward to run in the November election.

Wood took out nomination papers last week to run for another four-year term.

Shaun McCaffery, an engineer and former house manager at the Raven Theater, took out papers last week as well, indicating an interest in the unexpired two years left on McGuire's term.

Candidates have until Aug.6 to file papers for the November election. But if Ziedrich does not run for re-election, any candidates for the four-year seats will have until Aug. 11 to file, according to City Clerk Maria Curiel.