
Selection of new Council member to be open, public
Story by: John Panni
Date Published to Web: 7/13/2003
Alderwood residents have a little less than two weeks to submit their application to fill the vacant spot on the Alderwood City Council.Council will be accepting applications from interested residents to fill the vacancy left by former Councilman Alex de la Cruz until 5 p.m. Friday, July 23.Applications for the vacant Council position can be obtained at Alderwood City Hall starting today (Tuesday).Mayor Rex Luthor made it clear at this past Monday night's Council meeting that the entire process of selecting a councilman will be open to the scrutiny of the public. Luthor said he felt it was important that the public know as much as they can about each of the applicants and who will be filling the vacant Council spot.Council members officially accepted the resignation of de la Cruz, who operated the Alderwood KFC/A&W, at Monday night's meeting. de la Cruz was forced to immediately resign his Council position after a management opportunity with the KFC/A&W franchise in Colorado Springs, Co. became available to him."I will be taking over a KFC/A&W there and help grow a depressed market they have had over the past few years," wrote de la Cruz in a resignation letter to Council. "Let me make it a point that I have felt honored to serve with you on the Council. The experiences I have had, both good and bad, helped me grow personally and professionally.""It is a great loss for Alderwood," said Luthor. "He will be missed."The basic requirements of applicants seeking the open seat are that residents must have lived in Alderwood for one year and be a registered voter. Applicants will also be asked to provide professional and/or personal references and a history of their education. Other information sought will include the applicant's employment history and answers to a series of questions, such as why the applicant wants to serve on Council and what sort of experience and talent can the individual bring to the position. Luthor said applicants will be required to have the form notarized due in part to the fact background checks are not allowed to be done. All information submitted with the application will be made available to the public and the media, said Luthor.The mayor originally wanted to have the application deadline set for this Friday, but Councilman Tom Seeger suggested extending the period based on the fact Council has 90 days to fill the position. Seeger also asked that the Council's rules of procedure be handed out to each applicant so individuals know what is expected of them.All interviews for the vacant Council position will be conducted during open session, said Luthor. Luthor said he will talk with Mayor Pro-tem George Greenway to decide how much time should be dedicated to each interview. Both Council and the public will have opportunities to ask questions of each applicant. The applicant will also be given a chance to showcase themselves during the interview. Following the interviews, which are all expected to take place at the same meeting, Council will convene into executive session and then make a decision on who to select to fill the vacant seat.. John Panni can be contacted at (509) 837-4500, or email him at mPanni@hawkpress.com







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