COUNCIL HOPEFULS READY FOR CLOSE-UPS PANEL INTERVIEWS TO BE MADE PUBLIC.Byline: JUDY O'ROURKE Staff Writer SANTA CLARITA Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, -- A panel of community members today will interview hopefuls seeking an appointment to the City Council and recommend its top picks to fill a vacancy. Santa Clarita City Manager Ken Pulskamp put together the panel -- approved by the council Tuesday -- and will offer some guidelines guidelines, n.pl a set of standards, criteria, or specifications to be used or followed in the performance of certain tasks. for its queries. ``Ken will make suggestions, and they'll be guided by what they think makes a good council member,'' said City Attorney Carl Newton. The 16 panelists will disperse disperse /dis·perse/ (dis-pers´) to scatter the component parts, as of a tumor or the fine particles in a colloid system; also, the particles so dispersed. dis·perse v. 1. into three groups to conduct interviews but will cast their own votes, which will be made public. The panel and council interviews will be open to the public and while residents can make comments, they cannot question the candidates. Bruce McFarland, president of the Democratic Alliance for Action in Santa Clarita, who earlier raised an eyebrow eyebrow /eye·brow/ (-brou) 1. supercilium; the transverse elevation at the junction of the forehead and the upper eyelid. 2. supercilia; the hairs growing on this elevation. about the insularity in·su·lar adj. 1. a. Of, relating to, or constituting an island. b. Living or located on an island. 2. a. of having the council choose those who will pick the finalists, said the panel should do a fine job but the community at large has been left out. ``It's a public participation forum ... if they want to honor what's important to the general public, they should allow public input before the panelists start the interview process,'' he said. ``The community has not been given an opportunity to voice concerns about the qualities that should be looked at in picking.'' The appointee APPOINTEE. A person who is appointed or selected for a particular purpose; as the appointee under a power, is the person who is to receive the benefit of the trust or power. could be chosen as early as Wednesday at a special council meeting, when council members plan to interview the finalists. If the four council members cannot agree, Dec. 8 they will interview those ranked below the top tier. If the council still cannot choose, it could be forced to call a special election, Newton said. The election would be held in June. The vacancy will officially occur when Councilman Cameron Smyth Cameron Smyth is a Republican who has represented Califoria's 38th Assembly district since December of 2006. He succeeded Keith Richman who was term limited. Prior to being elected to the state legislature, Assemblyman Smyth served on the Santa Clarita City Council, where he , elected last month to the state Assembly, resigns Monday. Until then, the council can only plan to replace him; it cannot act. Smyth has no say in naming his replacement. judy.orourke@dailynews.com (661) 257-5255 |
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