The deadline has been extended to apply for the Ocean Shores City Council seat previously held by Jeff Daniel, who died last month in a surfing accident.
Applications will continue to be accepted until 2 p.m. April 3, with the previously announced deadline changed from March 25. Applicants will be invited to speak at the April 8 City Council meeting for 3 minutes and to answer the same set of questions from the six other Council members, who then vote on the applicants after an executive session.
The Council recently revised the process, and member Jon Martin said the intent was to give a full 14 days for applications after the first formal announcement of a vacancy. While the announcement of the current vacancy was made March 11, changing it to April 3 “gives us enough time to get all the applications in,” Martin said. The Council approved the change 6-0.
Applications must include a letter or a resume sent to the City Clerk (PO Box 909, Ocean Shores, WA 98569) or dropped off at Utility Billing.
Qualifications
• At least 1-year full-time residency in the city at time of appointment.
• A currently registered voter in this district at time candidacy is declared.
• Able to serve out the term until the next election certification.
April 8 meeting
• The applicants will be asked to wait outside the Council Chamber.
• The applicants will be called in one at a time selected randomly by placing all names in a container and selected one at a time.
• Applicants may sit in the Council meeting and listen to subsequent applicants.
• When all available have spoken, the Mayor will recess into executive session.
• Mayor and Council will discuss qualifications in the executive session.
• Mayor will reconvene the regular meeting.
• All Council members’ names will be placed in a container, and the mayor will pull a name, and that Council member may nominate a person for the open position.If the Council member passes, the mayor will select another Council member to nominate a person.
• The Council will vote on the person nominated. If there are four yes votes, the applicant becomes a new Council person. If there are not four yes votes, then the mayor will select another Council member to place a nomination.
Council members may only vote once per round; the mayor may not break a tie during the first round.
• If all Council members have either nominated or voted for someone, the Council will move to round two.
The process will start again, however, the mayor may vote to break a tie if three Council members are voting positive for an applicant.
• If appointed, the new Council member may be sworn in and takes his or her seat.
