Council veteran’s departure date set

Alicia Robinson

City Councilman Gary Adams will resign from the council effective

Sept. 1, he announced Thursday in a letter to city officials.

Adams, in his second term as councilman, said in July he planned

to resign to accept a job promotion and move to Washington, D.C.

The council will consider accepting Adams’ resignation at its

meeting Tuesday, Mayor Tod Ridgeway said. If council members agree on

a replacement process that night, they likely will solicit

applications for Adams’ replacement until Sept. 9. They would then

hold a public hearing at the Sept. 14 regular meeting to interview

candidates and appoint a new member either that night or at a Sept.

28 meeting, Ridgeway said.

“The more information people have at this point in time, the

better opportunity we have to have a diverse group of people to

interview,” he said.

The city charter requires the council to appoint a replacement

within 30 days of a council member’s resignation, or the seat would

go on the ballot at the next municipal election, Councilman Steve

Bromberg said. The deadline to get a seat on the November ballot has

passed, and the next municipal election is in 2006. If the council

doesn’t appoint someone by the end of September, the seat would

remain open until then, Bromberg said.

Tuesday’s City Council meeting will be Adams’ last. He had planned

since last week to submit his resignation but was traveling and

didn’t have time until Thursday, he said. He’ll move his family to

Washington, D.C., on Sept. 2 or 3 and will get settled in his new

office there by mid-September, he said.

“It’s been a real honor to have been able to [serve on the City

Council],” Adams said. “I’m really sad to be leaving.”

To be eligible to replace him, candidates must be registered

voters in the city and live in the fourth district, which includes

the Upper Newport Bay and newly incorporated areas in Santa Ana

Heights and near the airport, Ridgeway said.

About half a dozen people have expressed interest in the position,

including Planning Commissioners Barry Eaton and Leslie Daigle,

Bromberg said.

The qualities council members will look for in applicants are

subjective, Bromberg said, but he’d prefer applicants aware of

important issues in the city, involved in their communities and who

are consensus-builders.

“I am encouraging anybody that feels they’re ready to make this

type of commitment of service to the city to file an application,” he

said.

* ALICIA ROBINSON covers business, politics and the environment.

She may be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail at

alicia.robinson@latimes.com.