PORT ANGELES – Two of the three new City Council members elected in the Nov. 6 general election – Dan Di Guilio and Don Perry – will take the oath of office at the Dec. 4 meeting.
City Attorney Bill Bloor told the council at Tuesday night’s meeting that, because Di Guilio and Perry are replacing appointed council members Edna Petersen and Richard Headrick, they must take their seats as soon as the election is certified Nov. 27.
Cherie Kidd, also elected in November, will await the council’s first meeting of 2008 on Jan. 2 because she is replacing an elected council member, Grant Munro.
So Tuesday’s night meeting was the last for Petersen, who lost her seat to Di Guilio, and Headrick, who did not run for election in November.
Also at the meeting, the council considered a dog park proposal and approved a stormwater connection fee for new developments.
The council recessed to an executive session at about 10:15 p.m. to discuss potential litigation and review the performance of an unnamed public employee.
At 11:45 p.m., the council adjourned the executive session until 4 p.m. Sunday in the council chambers at City Hall, 321 E. Fifth St.
The council will continue the executive session and may go into open session afterwards to take formal action on one or both of the items.
Bloor explained that state law addresses the issue of replacing appointed versus elected office holders in three different places, so “a bit of interpretation” is required.
The consensus among state and county auditors is that people elected to replace appointed office holders can take office following certification of election results without waiting until January, he said.
