City Council considers appointing new representative

Looking to replace Angel Barajas, who is joining the Board of Supervisors

With the prospect of three or possibly four new members to the Woodland City Council starting in January, efforts are now underway to develop a public and transparent process for filling the position being vacated by Angel Barajas.

While members of the Woodland council differ slightly on the timeline for replacing Barajas — who will be resigning in early January to fill the 5th District supervisor’s chair — they all agree there needs to be more public involvement.

They also agreed that an election to fill Barajas’ 3rd District shouldn’t be by public vote due to its expense, although Councilman Enrique Fernandez wanted more specific information on the cost.

District 3 covers an area to the northwest part of Woodland and is roughly bordered by County Road 98, Kentucky Avenue, West Main Street and Beamer Street, dipping southward to Lemen Avenue and Court Street in select areas.

Councilmembers talked over the possibilities during a Tuesday night teleconference call held in compliance with state orders to limit public gatherings.

According to precedent, the council could either hold a public election only for District 3, or fill the position by appointment. The last time the council filled a vacancy is when former councilman and mayor, Skip Davies, was selected to serve out the unexpired two-year term of Bill

Marble, who left the city for Peru to serve a mission for his church.

Barajas was serving on the council at the time and said Tuesday he had no arguments with the selection of Davies, but he didn’t like the process where the council directly considered applicants and then made a selection. He said there should be greater public involvement and more transparency.

Councilman Tom Stallard, who was also appointed to council nearly a decade ago, agreed, saying the process needed to involve the public and possibly the League of Women Voters. He said his appointment involved submitting an application, a vetting by a council ad hoc committee, further vetting by the League, and a final round of consideration by the entire council.

Stallard also didn’t support an election, noting city

revenues are down due to the coronavirus pandemic. Holding an election could cost several thousands of dollars, agreed City Manager Ken Hiatt.

Stallard said the process could be completed as late as March 2021.

Mayor Rich Lansburgh also agreed with the appointment process and that at least one member of the public be involved. He also supported creating an ad hoc council committee to review applications to narrow the field of candidates.

However, Councilwoman Xochitl Rodriguez preferred a faster approach. She wanted to finish the process before the November general elections, feeling the current council was better qualified to make a selection.

But Barajas explained he planned to resign the first Monday in January when he

was scheduled to be sworn to the Board of Supervisors. He favored having the new council decide who to appoint because they would have a better understanding of the individual’s values and “their platform.”

“For us to make a decision and then leave the new council to work with someone they prefer not to work with or disagree with would cause problems,” Barajas said. “I saw this (when I served) on the Woodland School Board. I would prefer we don’t rush things.”

Barajas’ comments have some merit. This November general election will see at least two new members selected to the council, and possibly three.

Both Rodriguez and Fernandez officially announced their decisions more than a month ago to not seek reelection after having served four years in office. Rodriguez

represents District 5 and Fernandez represents District 4. Seeking to fill the District 5 post are Mayra Vega and Joe Romero. Vying for the District 4 post are Magda Padilla and Victoria Fernandez.

In addition, Stallard of District 2 is running for reelection against current School Trustee Karen Rosenkilde-Bayne.

As a result of the council’s recommendations, Hiatt will put together a more formal proposal and bring it back for consideration on Oct. 6.

Ultimately, council members all agreed that whomever is selected should be done under a “more democratic process” who is an “independent thinker” and done in the best interests of the community.