Lisa Wittke Schaffner will finish Mike McGuire's city council term

A familiar face was chosen Monday to fill the vacancy on the Healdsburg City Council — former Mayor Lisa Wittke Schaffner.

Schaffner was chosen over eight others who applied to fill the interim vacancy created by the resignation of Councilman Mike McGuire. He was elected north county supervisor in June.

"I have stayed abreast of everything that's going on in Healdsburg," Schaffner said after she was appointed. "I'm interested in what I can do to help in a short amount of time."

Schaffner will only serve until November, when voters will select a successor to finish McGuire's term, which expires at the end of 2012.

In a brief interview, Schaffner said she does not plan to run in November, for the same reasons she chose not to run again when her second four-year term ended in 2008.

"Work and the kids" are more of a priority, she said. "I have a daughter starting high school. I don't want to miss a thing."

Schaffner, 41, has served twice before as mayor and is executive director of the business-oriented Sonoma County Alliance.

In accepting the council position, she said her job has shown her "Healdsburg is ahead of the curve in economic development and welcoming business to town."

Schaffner is also a Sonoma County planning commissioner.

In unanimously choosing her over eight other applicants, council members met their stated goal of filling the seat with someone familiar with government who had the experience to quickly get up to speed on issues.

Schaffner said Mayor Jim Wood urged her to apply because he wanted someone who could "get a leg up on the budget and who understands how the city works."

Councilman Gary Plass said the list of those who applied for the interim council position is "proof we have a lot of high caliber people who want to help us."

Plass, who nominated Schaffner, not only served a term with her, but is her uncle.

Among the other applicants:

Chet Wystepek, a former Healdsburg city manager who served 13 years before retiring in 2008;

Phyllis Baldenhofer, a former Healdsburg planning commissioner;

Al Quinn, a teacher who lives in River's Bend senior community;

Mel Amato, an electrical engineer and prime proponent for saving the Healdsburg Memorial Bridge;

Jerry Levine, former San Francisco planning commissioner, retired transportation administrator and analyst;

Patrick B. Pinney Sr., a manager at JDSU/Flex Products in Santa Rosa;

James "Randy" Ullom, a winemaster for Kendall Jackson and chief executive with Jackson Family Wines;

Philip Wright, businessman and board member of the Northern Sonoma County Healthcare Foundation.

Since three seats will be on the ballot, Healdsburg voters will get the chance in November to select a majority of the council.

In addition to McGuire's unexpired, two-year seat, the four-year seats occupied by Wood and Ziedrich are also up for grabs in November. Wood intends to seek re-election, but Ziedrich says he will not.

Also running for a four-year seat is former Healdsburg Police Chief Susan Jones, who retired at the end of June.

Taya Levine, a retired management consultant who serves on the boards of several local non-profits, also took out papers for a four-year seat.

Shaun McCaffery, an engineer and former house manager at the Raven Theater, is running for the two-year term.

Loretta Strong, a financial adviser and former president of the Chamber of Commerce, took out papers for a two- year term.

Candidates have until Friday to file papers, although the period to file for the four-year seats will be extended until Aug. 11, assuming Ziedrich does not run again.