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Interviews for 16 LCF City Council hopefuls set, public welcome to attend

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La Cañada Flintridge City Council members have scheduled two rounds of interviews to fill the council vacancy left by the May 16 passing of Dave Spence, after receiving an unexpectedly high number of applications — 16 — from interested La Cañada residents.

The first two-hour interview session takes place in a special meeting Monday, July 10, at 5 p.m., to be followed by another two-hour special meeting Tuesday, July 11 at 8:30 a.m. The interviews will be held at La Cañada City Hall, 1327 Foothill Blvd., and are open to the public.

Each candidate will have roughly 15 minutes to state their intentions for applying and answer a series of interview questions, the council agreed at a regular meeting Wednesday, held a day late to accommodate the Fourth of July holiday.

“I don’t think we can do it in one day,” Mayor Mike Davitt of the two-round approach. “That’s not realistic, and that’s not fair to anyone.”

Speaking in a public comment, La Cañada resident Rody Stephenson suggested, given the large number of applicants, the city examine the possibility of calling a special election in November. City staff estimated an election could cost the city as much as $78,000.

Stephenson had recommended at a May 30 special meeting the council appoint Keith Eich, who ran against Spence and fellow incumbent Jon Curtis in the March election but did not garner enough votes for a win. On Wednesday, however, he maintained an election would be the only fair option.

“I would say you sort of have a mess on your hands,” Stephenson told the council, adding there would be no way to really get to know all 16 candidates by giving them 15 minutes apiece. “You really don’t have any choice, at this point, but to open a special election. “

Council members disagreed, saying they would prefer to stick with the plan to appoint and duly interview all 16 candidates than to risk having an empty seat — and potentially split decisions, given an even number of council members — until November.

“We did not expect the number of applicants we got. [But] I feel the healthiest thing for our community is to move forward in the most expedient way we can, to get that seat filled and move on as a whole council,” Mayor Pro Tem Terry Walker said. “We’ve set a course — I think we should stay the course.”

The council is anticipated to announce its selection for appointment in a third special meeting to take place Tuesday at 5 p.m. For more information, call City Clerk Tania Moreno at (818) 790-8880.

sara.cardine@latimes.com

Twitter: @SaraCardine

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