Pacific Grove City Council chooses a former councilmember to fill two-year term.

There was one point all six members of the Pacific Grove City Council could agree on as they deliberated who to fill the vacancy left by former councilmember Debby Beck, who resigned in November.

The seven candidates before them on Wednesday, Jan. 15, were a qualified and impressive group, they said, giving them many good options for a new leader. (There were originally eight candidates, but Jennifer Kelly withdrew her application.)

"The wealth of talent that came forth is incredible and it has made this decision monumentally difficult," said Councilmember Paul Walkingstick.

The councilmembers did not initially agree on which of the candidates to choose from, but in the end, they unanimously voted for former councilmember Cynthia Garfield, who served one term from 2016-2020. 

Mayor Nick Smith praised Garfield for her experience, including representing the city as a member of the Fort Ord Reuse Authority. He and other councilmembers said they wanted someone who would be ready to go from the start of the unexpired two-year term.

"I think Cynthia is the right choice, she's prepared, I was really impressed with her comments tonight and she's ready to tackle the issues," Smith said.

Three of the six councilmembers nominated Garfield in the first round of voting: Smith, Joe Amelio and Chaps Poduri. Two councilmembers—Paul Walkingstick and Lori McDonnell—nominated Don Murphy, who recently termed out of the Planning Commission.

Murphy had numerous supporters. Over 30 people wrote letters to the council ahead of the meeting urging them to select him and several more spoke during the meeting, touting his experience on the Planning Commission and praising him for his integrity and even-handedness.

Councilmember Tina Rau nominated Anna Bornstein, chair of the Architectural Review Board and a planner at EMC Planning Group.

Despite garnering only a single nomination, Bornstein was a clear favorite of councilmembers and some residents, along with Ross Davison, who serves on the Planning Commission and has an extensive background in historic preservation and environmental issues.

Bornstein and Davison represent the young working professionals of P.G., which tends to skew older, including on its council, boards and commissions. Some residents said it was time for younger leaders to emerge.

In her support for Davison, Colleen Ingram, one of the founders of the Pacific Grove Progressives, said his "presence on this council would give younger generations a face and a voice in our local government.

"This representation is desperately needed and welcomed by the young, working residents of Pacific Grove, and it will be a breath of fresh air for all ages of the residents," Ingram said.

It was a sentiment echoed by Rau.

"We're going to have some challenges in the next 10 to 20 years and not to be morbid, but I may not be here. We need the people that are going to live with the impact of our decisions and I think Anna Bornstein and Ross Davison would both serve that well. But if I am in the minority, I hope you run, I hope you win—to both of you because you're both outstanding candidates."

Councilmembers said Bornstein and Davison were among their top four candidates, along with Garfield and Murphy. They urged the candidates who were not selected to remain involved in local government, or get involved if they hadn't before. 

The three candidates who did not rise to the top were Michael Gibbs, who serves on the Economic Development Commission, Melvin Dubee and Eugene Loh. 

After the vote for Murphy failed, all six councilmembers voted in favor of Garfield, who was elated upon hearing the outcome.

She was immediately sworn into office by City Clerk Sandra Kandell and was a little teary as she took the oath. Afterward Garfield took her seat on the dais, thanking the council for their attention throughout the selection process.

"I know we had a difference of opinion but I really thank you for the unanimous vote. It means a lot to me," she said.