PORT ANGELES — The City Council will interview applicants for the seat vacated by Larry Little, and may choose the new council member at a special meeting today.
Seven people submitted applications by the Tuesday’s 3 p.m. deadline, but one is expected to be out of town during the interviews at 5 p.m. today in the council chambers at Port Angeles City Hall, 321 E. Fifth St.
John Matthews, Port Angeles planning commissioner and postal clerk, is expected to fly back from Alaska late tonight. Council members will attempt to interview him by phone, while they interview the other applicants in person.
The six council members can make a decision tonight, or wait until their Feb. 2 meeting.
Little, who was elected in the November general election, resigned Dec. 31, citing his wife’s cancer and chemotherapy treatments.
In addition to Matthews, the applicants are:
• Brad Collins, Serenity House of Clallam County development director and former Port Angeles planning director. Collins lost to Port of Port Angeles Commissioner John Calhoun by 21 votes in the November general election.
• Dan Maguire, former Clallam County Family YMCA executive director.
• Thomas Davis, a musician, who served as an Indian Council chairman while he was in El Dorado County, Calif.
• Rick Burton, Nippon Paper Industries USA employee and unsuccessful 2009 Port Angeles council candidate.
• Glenn Wiggins, a forestry consultant and a former Port Angeles city councilman and mayor.
• Sheryle Outcalt, registered nurse.
Cody Blevins, who lost to Little in last year’s election, told the Peninsula Daily News earlier this month that he was considering applying.
Blevins decided against it
Blevins, a Hi-Tech Electronics salesman who previously announced his plans to run against council member Cherie Kidd in 2011, said Tuesday that he chose not to apply because he wanted to honor the voter’s decision in November not to put him on the council this time around.
“If they didn’t want me there the first time, then I can’t imagine getting an appointment,” he said.
“I could see why [voters] would be upset, and I wouldn’t want to be on the council through a backdoor strategy.
“I would rather wait and do it the right way.”
The person who is appointed to the seat will serve a two-year term. The seat will be up for election in November 2011.
The appointee will hold the tiebreaking vote for deputy mayor.
Council members Kidd and Don Perry each received three votes for the position at the council’s Jan. 5 meeting.
At the same meeting, council member Dan Di Guilio was selected as mayor in a 5-0 vote. Di Guilio abstained from the vote.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
Reporter Paige Dickerson contributed to this report.
