The application period for the open city council seat closed at 5pm sharp on Wednesday. In total, 17 Parkites threw their hats in the ring.
This year’s applicants include several former Park City candidates, a sitting member of the Park City Planning Commission, and a former school board president. The application period opened on December 17th, but City Recorder Michelle Kellogg told KPCW that the vast majority of people submitted their applications on Wednesday.
As of Tuesday she had received four applications and received the other 13 on Wednesday. One of them from KPCW Public Affairs Host and Summit County Board of Health Member Chris Cherniak was sent before the deadline, but because he misspelled the recorder’s last name – the email wasn’t received. Mayor Nann Worel sent Kellogg and city manager Matt Dias an email explaining the circumstances and asked to add him to the interview list.
Other notable applicants include David Dobkin, who ran for mayor before finishing third in last August’s primary. Former 2020 city council candidates Michael Franchek, Jamison Brandi, and John Greenfield also applied for the opening. Franchek is also currently suing Park City over a 2019 confrontation with Park City police, where he claims his Constitutional rights were violated.
Park City Recreation Advisory Board member and former city council candidate Ed Parigian submitted an application as well. Sitting Park City Planning Commissioner Laura Suesser also applied.
Others who want the job include current Park City Noon Rotary President and former chair of the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission Ryan Dickey, and former Park City Board of Education President Tania Knauer.
Kellogg announced in December that the city would not release applicants’ names until after the deadline to apply. That policy is in line with city protocol when there are openings on other public boards or commissions.
Kellogg said this year’s number of applicants is very similar to what happened four years ago when former Mayor Andy Beerman left the council to become mayor. Kellogg said 15 people applied for that opening.
Kellogg said some of the applicants who submitted late in the day on Wednesday still need to be verified as registered voters in Park City, but she said there was no reason to believe any of them would be rejected.
“I just have to verify that they are registered voters, so I have emailed the county and I’m sure they’ll respond tomorrow," Kellogg said. "In the application, there was a question if they met the eligibility requirements, and they have all checked ‘yes,’ so it’s just a formality.”
Per state law, the Park City Council and Mayor will hold two days of public interviews with applicants on Friday, January 7th, and Tuesday, January 11th, before making a final selection on January 13th.
The full list of applicants and interview times can be seen below.
