Council Cuts the Field to 12 for Thompson's Spot

It was after 11 p.m. on Wednesday night when the three members of the Rancho Santa Margarita City Council began talking about how best to replace their former colleague, Gary Thompson, who resigned on March 3.

They received 21 applications for the position, from which the councilmen—Mayor Tony Beall, Jerry Holloway, Steve Baric and Jesse Petrilla—will choose a fifth member.

With Petrilla at tank school in Fort Knox, KY, while training with the California National Guard, the others determined that 12 candidates—plus anyone that Petrilla may want to include—will be interviewed no later than the next council meeting scheduled for April 13.

Provided he can comply with the Brown Act for open public meetings, Petrilla will participate via teleconference if not in person; he has a four-day pass from April 7-10.

Beall said one key to his decision-making would be the involvement that the person has with Rancho Santa Margarita through its history. "Foremost in my mind is that the job is to run the city, and it's important this person has familiarity with the city, its operations, its history and how it conducts business and demonstrated experience with the city."

Not surprisingly, former Mayor Carol Gamble was included on the list. Gamble was the second-highest vote-getter among 14 candidates in 1999 when the community voted for its first City Council prior to incorporation on Jan. 1, 2000.  She resigned in 2004 to care for her parents.

Now, Gamble has to be considered a leading candidate in a field of outstanding candidates, one of whom will join the city's governing panel through November 2012. Others who are among the 12 are Lawrence "Larry" McCook, who ran a short six-week campaign last year and won more than 4,300 votes, as well as the three planning commissioners appointed by each council member, Jim Eakin, Brad McGirr and Peter Whittingham.

Holloway, who showed an eagerness in choosing a replacement as soon as possible, said there were 10 candidates he hoped to interview. After he listed the 10, Baric added two others, and Beall agreed that those he wanted to interview were already included on the list.

Those who will be interviewed in public are:

• Glenn Acosta, Dove Canyon: Director of the Trabuco Canyon Water District, appointed by O.C. Supervisor Pat Bates to serve on the O.C. Waste Management Commission.
• Jim Eakin, Trabuco Canyon: Software engineer and businessman is on the Planning Commission as Jerry Holloway’s appointment.
• Carol A. Gamble, RSM: Consultant and civil engineer is the city's former mayor elected to the original City Council who was directly involved in the incorporation of Rancho Santa Margarita.
• Kenny P. Hrabik, Trabuco Canyon: Businessman owns the Dove Canyon Courtyard.
• Donnamarie Kline, RSM: Volunteer with professional background in employee benefits.
• Lawrence “Larry” McCook, RSM: Retired business executive garnered more than 4,300 votes during six-week campaign for council in 2010.
• Brad McGirr, RSM: Attorney and current member of the Planning Commission as an appointment of Mayor Tony Beall.
• Kevin J. Raney, RSM: Chief of police for the city of Garden Grove.
• Kathleen A. Roach, RSM: Worked 15 years in municipal government, including seven as the assistant to the city manager in Rancho Santa Margarita.
• Michael F. Safranski, RSM: Senior director of facilities and security for Emulex Corp., board president of the Trabuco Canyon Water District and Trabuco Highlands Community Association.
• Curt Stanley, RSM: Small business owner and local advocate is often an emcee for Rancho Santa Margarita events.
• Peter Whittingham, RSM: Currently works for the former Anaheim mayor as vice president of Curt Pringle and Associates; former press deputy to Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich, joined RSM Planning Commission in January as appointment of Steve Baric.

All but Acosta and Kline were mentioned by Holloway.

Hrabik had been a central figure earlier in the council meeting. His Dove Canyon Courtyard received a conditional-use permit from the City Council in one of the most exhaustive battles in city history. About 3½ hours of discussion was spent on whether Hrabik could routinely operate his facility despite the protestations of noise from nearby residents.

"This is an amazing group of people," Holloway said. "It's going to be a tough decision, but I'm so encouraged because it's going to be the right decision."

After the interviews, the council members will rank the candidates, with points awarded to each; however, the point totals are non-binding, which means they're meant to provide an idea of who the favorites are and who should advance in the process.