[0:00] We're going to call this meeting to order. This is a special, this is the City of East Wales City Council special meeting Wednesday, August 18th, 2026. Just after 5.30 p.m. We're calling this meeting to order. Mr. Donahue, if we could please have roll call. Councilmember Dinka. Here. Councilmember McMan. Here. Councilmember Rigby. Here. Mayor Pro Temeloremore. Here. Mayor Yao is absent. Okay. Excellent. We're going to be moving on to our pledge

[0:30] of allegiance. The pledge of allegiance tonight will be led by Councilmember Dinko.

[0:35] We're going to call this evening to order.

[0:36] This is a special meeting. Please hand over your heart.

[0:39] The City of New Zealand Council special meeting Wednesday, August 18th, 2020.

[0:58] Okay, thank you. That brings us to our public comment.

[1:03] You may submit a public comment by filling out a public comment card or raising your hand online.

[1:08] Individuals online should use raise hand feature to indicate that they want to speak.

[1:12] And we'll be unmuted when it is their turn to speak.

[1:15] Public comments are allowed a maximum of three minutes per individual comment.

[1:19] Please note that during public comment, the City Council is not able to respond to inquiries or engage in dialogue.

[1:26] Mr. Donahue, do we have any public comments?

[1:29] We do not have any general public comment.

[1:32] Okay, that brings us to our City Council business for this item.

[1:39] I'm going to be stepping away.

[1:44] Council member Wigby will take over.

[1:46] Council member Wigby.

[1:47] Council member Wigby, the meeting's yours.

[1:52] Thank you, sir.

[2:01] Starting with item number five of City Council Business 5.1, discussion to a point or hold

[2:06] the general municipal election in district three.

[2:09] I'm going to turn to Mr. Mark Donahue to present this item.

[2:13] Thank you, Council.

[2:14] So in June of 2026, City Council adopted a resolution calling for a general holding of a general municipal election to be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026 for three members of the City Council and requesting the Board of Supervisors of the County Riverside to consolidate and renders specified services to the City of Eastville related to the conduct of the statewide general municipal election.

[2:39] The filing deadline was Thursday, August 6, 20, 26, at 5.30 p.m. for districts 1 and 3.

[2:45] The deadline for district 4 was Wednesday, August 12, 20, 26, at 5.30 p.m.

[2:50] At the close of the nomination period, the city received filing papers for three individuals

[2:55] in district 1, one individual in district 3, and three individuals in district 4.

[3:00] Elections code section 102 to 9 provides three options to be considered by the governing

[3:06] in this case, the City Council, and the events of one or no nominees filed by the close of the filing period.

[3:12] Those options include appointing to the office a person who has been nominated,

[3:18] appoint to the office any eligible voter if no one has been nominated,

[3:21] and third hold the election of either no one or only one person has been nominated.

[3:26] Given that any election which would be held in November would be uncontested for district three,

[3:31] The staff finds no value in pursuing the third option.

[3:34] Additionally, the city would incur costs of approximately $30,000 in order to continue with the election and district three.

[3:40] The appointment of a city council member must be approved by a majority vote of the city council.

[3:44] The person appointed shall qualify and take office and serve exactly as it elected at municipal elections for the office.

[3:51] After the appointments are approved, the city clerk shall not accept any filings for a right in candidate.

[3:57] And with that, I'm happy to answer any questions.

[3:59] Thank you, Mr. Donahue. Any questions from Council?

[4:05] Councilmember Dingo.

[4:07] I'm just confirming there's only one for District 3, and if we were to go ahead with election,

[4:13] it would cost an additional $30,000 for the filing.

[4:16] Correct.

[4:17] Okay, thank you.

[4:19] Do you have a question since the closure of the filing date?

[4:23] Have you received any other interest from District 3?

[4:26] Okay, so we didn't receive any interest during the nomination period.

[4:31] I did receive a phone call from somebody yesterday in District 3 who indicated that they were interested in being a right in candidates if the election is not canceled.

[4:42] That's still in the resident, I've only had one resident reach out to me.

[4:45] He told you he was interested or was not interested?

[4:48] He was, he was interested if the city council did not cancel the election.

[4:55] I think that same person told me he was not interested, so that's interesting.

[5:00] Was there any discussion from that person as to why they did not file within the time that was allotted? As my understanding was that he was confused by the nomination period date. And there were no questions that were brought up before that? For district three, during the nomination period, I didn't receive any questions or interest besides the incumbent who filed. Okay. Any other questions from council?

[5:29] Do we have any public comments on this item? We do not.

[5:33] All right, Council, any further discussion?

[5:43] Interesting. I talked to a gentleman that was interested in running for Council. He told me that he was inquiring about the time.

[5:52] I advised him to contact Georgia Donahue and inquire find out if there's another route for him to file.

[6:00] Although I understand the rules, I want to make sure he is from the official person overseeing that election here in

[6:09] And Eastville, I mean, it's a county run election, but the filings to the city of Eastville.

[6:18] I did speak to him after the conversation with the city.

[6:21] He expressed to me something different that he would maybe be interested in the next time, but not in this time.

[6:28] So it leaves me with knowing what I know, I think I have all the answers that I need with that information.

[6:35] But that was just my statement.

[6:36] Okay. Thank you. Any other council members?

[6:41] I feel that people had ample amount of time to do it and they also could have done a

[6:44] public comment today also if they're really serious about it and said hey I'm really

[6:50] interested in running please help me what can I do and no interest again so.

[6:57] And for context I did make the gentleman aware of the meeting today that the council

[7:01] was considering this and I informed him that I would call him after the meeting concluded

[7:06] to just tell him what the council's decision was?

[7:09] Yeah, it's the same person, clearly, because he had called and says, yeah, Mark Donnell told

[7:13] me that you guys are going to be talking about it tonight, and we discussed it.

[7:16] And I know the way our conversation finished, that he'd be looking out for the filing for

[7:21] next time. That was what my conversation was. That's what's going to help steer my opinion.

[7:25] If I had someone that was 100% saying that they wanted to continue with a right in, that

[7:31] would also steer my opinion. But I don't have that on my personal information.

[7:36] Thank you. We have a motion in a second, and if we can vote, please.

[7:46] And just for clarification, the motion is to approve staff's recommendation.

[7:57] Motion passes 3-0.

[8:01] Great. Thank you. And so from here, do we, is that done in our next council meeting or not, till December for him or?

[8:10] Not till December, because the term of office will begin in December.

[8:14] Okay. He's still in his previous term right now.

[8:16] Great. So should we bring them back in or just close the meeting?

[8:21] Yes, we can't. We can just all leave.

[8:24] And he just stays out there.

[8:50] All right, so do we need to do a recap, Mr. Donnie who or just for the, okay.

[8:56] All right, then we will, this meeting is now adjourned.

[8:58] The next regular city council meeting will be on September 9th, 2026 at 6.30 p.m.

[9:02] This means now adjourned.

Special City Council

Transcript