With Time Running Out, Rivas, Warner Qualify For District 5 Seat

As the deadline to qualify for the District 5 seat draws near, two people have qualified to fill the seat vacated by Mayor Victor Gordo.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Michael Warner, a former public works employee in Los Angeles, and attorney Jessica Rivas have paid their fees and turned in the necessary paperwork which is due by close of business Thursday.

Genevieve Clavreul, Charlotte (Mason) Lai, Gloria G. Medel, Martha Shenkenberg, Rosanna Del Rio, and Patrick M. Amsbry have also pulled nominating papers, but so far none of them have qualified for the seat.

Gordo resigned from the council seat after winning the race for mayor in November.

The City Council has 75 days to appoint a qualified resident of District 5 to hold office until the office is filled at the next general municipal election.

The 75-day deadline will expire Feb. 20.

Once all applications are received, an ad hoc committee will review them and decide on the details of a public interview process. 

The committee will present a recommendation of candidates to be interviewed by the full City Council and then decide on questions to be asked during the public interviews, to be conducted in a special meeting of the council.

All candidates will be interviewed on the same day, and no candidate will be permitted to view or be present during the interview of any other candidate. 

The interview process will be broadcast as part of a public meeting.

Each qualified applicant will be asked to make a six-minute presentation to the City Council, and may then be asked to respond to follow-up questions from the council.

The order of applicants’ presentations will be determined by a random draw of the applicants’ names and will take place at the beginning of the special meeting, just prior to the start of the interview process. The drawing will be conducted in public by City Clerk Mark Jomsky.

Any action by the City Council to appoint an individual to serve requires five affirmative votes. Should the council be unable to muster the necessary five votes for one applicant by Feb. 20, the replacement would then be chosen by lot, following Charter Section 404.

Following the selection of the appointee to serve on the council, the city clerk will immediately administer the oath of office.