City Council begins process to fill Crumpacker’s seat

Applications due by April 5, with applicants to appear at regular council meeting on April 9

By Angelo Bruscas • March 27, 2018 1:30 am
Flowers were placed at Robert Crumpacker’s seat for the March 26 City Council meeting. Because of his death, the council will choose from list of applications that are due by April 5. Scott D. Johnston photo
Flowers were placed at Robert Crumpacker’s seat for the March 26 City Council meeting. Because of his death, the council will choose from list of applications that are due by April 5. Scott D. Johnston photo

The Ocean Shores City Council on Monday began the process of choosing a replacement for the Position 7 seat vacated by the death of Robert “Bob” Crumpacker, who was just starting his first year after being elected last November to his second term on the council.

The vacancy on the seven-member council was announced formally Monday and the process is expected to be completed April 9, at which time the remaining members will vote after applicants appear individually to answer questions.

Applicants must first write a letter or send a resume by 2 p.m. Thursday, April 5, to City Clerk Rachel Carl via email (rcarl@osgov.com) or drop it off at the Ocean Shores Fire Station. Applicants may also mail their letter or resume to City Clerk, PO Box 909, Ocean Shores, WA 98569. To qualify, an applicant must have at least one year of full-time residence in the city, be a current registered voter in the district, and be able to serve out the term until the Nov. 2019 election.

On April 6, the city will announce the applicants and release copies of the letters and resumes in advance of the April 9 council meeting, where each applicant will be able to speak individually for three minutes before council questions are asked.

“We ask each person the same series of questions,” Mayor Crystal Dingler explained.

The council then deliberates in executive session, reconvenes, and votes publicly until an applicant has a majority, with the mayor able to break a tie.

Here is the process for the April 9 meeting:

● Councilmember applicants will be asked to wait outside the Council Chamber

● Each applicant will be called into the meeting one at a time to speak and answer questions

● Applicants may then sit in Council and listen to subsequent applicants

● When all available have spoken, Mayor will recess into executive session

● Mayor and Council will discuss qualifications in the executive session

● Mayor will reconvene the regular meeting

● Council may then vote on a new Councilmember to fill the vacancy

● Mayor may break any tie vote

● New Councilmember may be sworn in and take his or her seat on the Council

● Regular meeting continues

The person chosen will serve until November 2019, at which time the position would be up for election for the remaining two years in what would have been Crumpacker’s full term.

“We’re required to fill the vacancy, but it is only filled until the next election where we have council members elected, which would be the 2019 election,” Dingler explained. “Someone who takes the job on this year, next year if they wanted to stay, they would have to run for that or they would be done.”