SNOHOMISH — The Snohomish City Council plans to once again be fully represented by early February.
Former councilman Zachary Wilde unexpectedly resigned in December after questions were raised about where he lives. Council members are required to reside within city limits for at least one year prior to being sworn in and for the duration of their term.
Steps were taken last week to fill the vacant seat.
This month, 19 candidates submitted applications. The candidate pool was narrowed down to seven during a special meeting Jan. 24.
Council members convened in an executive session to discuss each candidate’s qualifications. State law permits council members to meet privately when evaluating the candidates. However, the council may not take action or interview the candidates behind closed doors.
Each council member wrote down seven candidates’ names after returning to a public forum.
Among the those advancing to interviews are Tom Merrill, Dale Preboski, Elizabeth Larsen, Stephen Dana, Christian Funk, Jason Sanders and Lisa Caldwell.
Merrill has served on Snohomish’s open-government committee. He also spoke out during the last election season opposing Proposition 2, a successful bid to transition city leadership from a council-manager form to a strong-mayor form. A primary election to select a new strong mayor is scheduled for August, with a run-off election in November.
Preboski previously served as a spokeswoman for the city of Everett and an editorial page writer with The Daily Herald.
Larsen is a senior environmental planner with Snohomish County Public Works and a volunteer with the Snohomish County Red Cross.
Dana previously served on the Snohomish City Council as both a member and mayor in the 1990s. He also owned The Hub, a well-known Snohomish restaurant, before it closed in 2010. Dana currently sells real estate with Century 21.
Funk has advocated for reversing the marijuana business ban in Snohomish. In December 2015, he went before the council on behalf of The Kushery. The retail marijuana shop hoped to open a new location in Snohomish.
Sanders has worked for Bellevue-based Puget Sound Energy since 1999. Within Snohomish, he has served on the city’s economic-development council.
Caldwell works in sales and marketing with Brookdale Senior Living Solutions in Monroe. She also is an at-large director for the Rotary Club of Monroe.
The council plans candidate interviews during its regular meeting Tuesday They are open to the public.
Snohomish County Mayor Karen Guzak said that she hopes that all of the candidates who applied will stay involved in the city.
Caitlin Tompkins: 425-339-3192; ctompkins@heraldnet.com.
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