Citizens to Recommend Applicants for City Council Seat

            The Santa Clarita City Council has chosen to appoint a new City Councilmember to replace out-going member Cameron Smyth who recently won a State Assembly seat.  Smyth’s last City Council meeting is expected to be November 28, 2006.  Residents of the City who wish to be considered for the City Council special appointment need to complete an application and return it to the City Clerk no later than 5 p.m. on November 27, 2006.

            The City Council directed the City Manager to develop a methodology which includes a community interview process.  The members of this process, which, if approved by the City Council, will make recommendations for a short list of candidates who will then be interviewed by the City Council.  The panel will convene over the next few weeks at a meeting that will be publicly noticed and open to the public.  As part of this public panel interview process, members of the public will be provided time to speak.

            “Our goal is to hold community-based panel interviews for potential city council candidates. A city staff member would preside at each of the proposed three panels. Each panel member would rate all of the candidates, and the top candidates from all of the panels will be presented to the City Council for consideration,” explains Ken Pulskamp, City Manager.

            The applications for the special appointment process must be completed and returned to the City with 25 signatures of registered voters living within the City of Santa Clarita, as described in the City’s application which is available at City Hall in the City Clerk’s office, 23920 Valencia Boulevard, third floor, or on line at www.santa-clarita.com.