HUNTINGTON BEACH : Council Narrows Candidate List to 6

City Council members on Friday narrowed down a field of 34 candidates to six finalists for a vacant seat on the council.

The six finalists are former Councilman Peter M. Green; planning commissioners Shirley Dettloff and Jan Shomaker; former planning commissioners Mark Porter and Geri Ortega; and Ralph Bauer, head of CoOp, an organization opposed to the building planned around the Bolsa Chica wetlands.

Green could not run for reelection this year because city law limits a council member to two consecutive terms. But the city law does not preclude Green from being appointed to fill a vacancy on the council.

The finalists will be interviewed by council members Monday afternoon at City Hall. They will then vote for their choice at the council’s regular meeting, which starts at 7 p.m.

The vacancy was created by the Nov. 7 death of Councilman Jack Kelly, who had two years remaining on his four-year term. The opening has caused a split among the six members of the council and a battle between pro-growth and slow-growth forces in the city.

Under rules adopted Dec. 7 by the council, residents interested in being on the City Council were required to file an application by Wednesday. A total of 34 people filed by the deadline.

From that pool of 34 applicants, each council member was allowed to nominate two candidates. The council members made their nominations on Friday.

Mayor Grace Winchell, who nominated Ortega, was the only council member to nominate only one candidate. Councilman Earle Robitaille declined to nominate anyone.

Nominations by the other council members were as follows:

Councilman Jim Silva--Green and Shomaker; Councilman David Sullivan--Bauer and Porter; Councilman Victor Leipzig--Dettloff and Green; and Councilwoman Linda Moulton-Patterson--Dettloff and Bauer.

Silva, Robitaille and Moulton-Patterson earlier this month attempted to appoint Planning Commissioner Susie Newman to the vacancy. They were opposed by Winchell, Leipzig and Sullivan, and the motion to appoint Newman died at the Dec. 7 meeting on a tie vote.

Newman withdrew her name as a candidate before the selection Friday of the finalists. She said she withdrew because the selection process had become “a debacle . . . a bastardization.” She added: “It certainly became clear to me that the fix was in, and so I asked that my name not be put in nomination.”

The winning candidate Monday night must obtain at least four votes if all six council members are present and voting.