Huntington Beach City Council hits standstill on filling seat vacated by Tito Ortiz
Mayor Kim Carr listens to a candidate speak on July 9. During this week’s special meeting, the City Council reached a stalemate over appointing a person to fill the seat left vacant by the resignation of Tito Ortiz.
(Scott Smeltzer / Times Community News)
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With not enough votes to nominate a candidate to fill the council seat left vacant by the resignation of Tito Ortiz, nor the needed votes to call a special election, the Huntington Beach City Council finds itself at a standstill on how to proceed.
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A Surf City resident looking to serve the public will likely be seated on the dais within a matter of weeks.
The Huntington Beach City Council is accepting applications to fill the spot vacated when Mayor Pro Tem Tito Ortiz resigned on June 1.
Residents have until Friday at 5 p.m. to apply for the vacant seat, after a unanimous 6-0 vote during a special council meeting last week. Online applications are available at bit.ly/hbcitycouncil, or those interested can visit the city clerk’s office at City Hall.
City Manager Oliver Chi said applicants will likely be interviewed either between June 25 and June 27 or between July 9 and July 11, depending on the number of applications received. The City Council will review both the applications and interviews to make a final decision, which is expected at a council meeting in July.
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With things opening up and Orange County moving into the yellow tier for reopening on Wednesday, the Huntington Beach City Council plans to return to chambers for meetings for the first time this year.
City Manager Oliver Chi outlined plans to get off Zoom and back to in-person meetings at Monday night’s meeting. The council members are scheduled to return to the dais on Tuesday, June 1, as Council meetings are also shifting from Mondays to Tuesdays starting in June.
Huntington Beach will also reopen City Hall in a limited capacity on June 1, with in-person operations including utility bill payments and beach permit parking pass sales. A full reopening may occur by June 15, which is the day California is expected to remove its indoor mask mandate.