Appointed councilmember Kristen McDaniel resigns in Sand City.

In spring of 2017, two Sand City councilmembers tendered their resignations.

One was former mayor David Pendergrass—who served in the position for 39 years, a state record—who retired for health reasons and moved to Redding. 

The city council appointed then-vice mayor Mary Ann Carbone to take his vacancy. 

The other resignation was councilman Todd Kruper, who moved to Eureka.

That left two open positions, which the council filled by interviewing seven interested candidates and choosing the two they felt most qualified. 

One of those two was Kristen McDaniel, who sent Carbone her resignation letter Oct. 3, stating her last day on the council would be Oct. 15. In the letter, McDaniel thanked Carbone for her appointment, and said she enjoyed working with the council and city staff. 

Sand City now has a vacant council seat less than three weeks before the Nov. 6 election, where four candidates—incumbents Jerry Blackwelder and Craig Hubler, and challengers Nicol Casas and Elizabeth Sofer—are vying for two contested seats. 

What happens with McDaniel's open seat is not yet clear, Carbone says. The city council has 45 days—excluding weekends and holidays—to appoint someone to fill the position, and there are a few options the council will decide on at a later date. 

One is that the council could elect to appoint the candidate in the election who gets the third-most votes. Another is that the council could go through the interview process like they did in 2017, or, if 45 days passes, Carbone can make the appointment. 

Also not clear is when the recent vacancy will be filled in the city administrator position after Todd Bodem resigned Sept. 29 when the city council chose to not renew his contract. 

Carbone says the city's Budget/Personnel Committee will look at the next steps in finding an interim or permanent city administrator.