The Yakima City Council will accept applications until Tuesday, December 31st at noon from qualified candidates interested in filling the vacancy on the Council that will be created by Sara Bristol’s resignation from her District 2 seat at the end of the year.
To be eligible, applicants must be registered to vote and have to live within the boundaries of Yakima City Council District 2. The borders of District 2 are, generally, Tieton Drive to the North, Ahtanum Road to the south, 40th Avenue to the west, and 1st Avenue to the east. A map of District 2 can be found on the City’s website at http://bit.ly/1aKy7kE. Applications for the upcoming Council vacancy can be downloaded from the City’s website – http://bit.ly/1ekZ6EH – or can be picked up at the City Clerk’s office at City Hall. Completed applications must be returned to the City Clerk’s office no later than noon on December 31st.
As part of the application form, candidates are being asked to submit a statement of 200 words or less describing why they would like to serve the remainder of Bristol’s term, which expires at the end of 2015. Applicants are also encouraged to submit a resume detailing their relevant experience.
Following the close of the application period on December 31st, the remaining six Council members will review the applications and determine which candidates will be interviewed. Candidate interviews will then be scheduled to be conducted during an open meeting of the Council, which is required by state law. As of now, the Council has not set a deadline for naming Bristol’s replacement.
Bristol was elected to the Yakima City Council in November 2011 after having received more than 70% of the vote and was sworn into office in January 2012. Bristol is resigning from her District 2 seat because she and her family are moving back to her hometown of Grants Pass, Oregon where Bristol and her husband, Chris, have both accepted jobs with the Grants Pass Daily Courier newspaper. Bristol will be working for the newspaper as a copy editor. Her husband took over as the Daily Courier’s city editor in late October.
Bristol’s District 2 seat is one of four district-specific positions on the Council. Maureen Adkison holds the District 1 seat, Rick Ensey is the District 3 representative, and Kathy Coffey represents District 4. The other three seats on the Council are at-large positions, which are currently held by Micah Cawley, Dave Ettl, and Bill Lover.
Anyone wanting more information about the process that will be used to fill the vacancy that will be created by Bristol’s resignation or who needs verification that their address is within the District 2 boundaries is encouraged to contact Communications & Public Affairs Director Randy Beehler by phone (901-1142) or by e-mail (randy.beehler@yakimawa.gov).
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