After two days of intense deliberations, the Chula Vista City Council came to a consensus Tuesday night and appointed Steve Miesen as its fifth council member.
Miesen, a division manager for Republic Services, fills the City Council vacancy left when Councilwoman Mary Casillas Salas was elected the city’s 40th mayor in November.
The appointment of Miesen comes after much debate and many stalemates by the four-person council.
In the end, Deputy Mayor Pamela Bensoussan, who on several occasions voted against Miesen, gave in and nominated him for the appointment.
The City Council unanimously voted in favor.
“Nothing really changed my mind,” Bensoussan said as to why she finally agreed on Miesen.
“I perceived him from the get-go as the deal breaker. And when I became convinced that my other two choices weren’t going to fly, well then, it was the natural next step for me to put him forward because I believe he’s the right person to do that.”
Bensoussan’s first choice had been former mayor Shirley Horton, then in an attempt to compromise she opened the second day of the meetings nominating Jason Paguio.
Councilman John McCann also previously voted against Miesen, then changed his vote when Bensoussan nominated Miesen.
Salas’s first choice of the night was Miesen.
Miesen said he is ready to move the city forward.
“I just feel a real obligaztion to serve my community and this was a unique opportunity to do it in this fashion,” he said at a press conference outside City Hall.
“My focus is truly to listen to the citizens in the community.”
Miesen stated his priorities include bringing “shovel ready” properties to the city of Chula Vista and to market Chula Vista better in an effort to change the city’s image.
Republic Service is the city’s trash disposal company.
There were concerns by council members that Miesen presented a conflict with the city because of the contracts his company has.
City Attorney Glen Googins said the city conducted a comprehensive analysis that dismissed any notions of a conflict.
“We did not think, again, based on our preliminary analysis, that his financial interest was the kind that created a 1090 problem,” Googins said. “It was a remote enough nature under the terms of 1090 that it would be OK.”
Government Code 1090 states an official in city government shall not be financially interested in any contract made by them in their official capacity, or by any body or board of which they are members.
Miesen said he is resigning as president of the Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce to avoid any type of conflict of interest.
With the appointment the city avoided a special election that could have cost taxpayers anywhere from $600,000 to $1.2 million for both a special election and a run-off election.
City Manager Gary Halbert said footing the bill for a special election could have forced budget cuts.
He said $600,000 amounts to about 40 percent of the library’s budget, the closure of the animal shelter and about 12 police officers could be hired with that money.
Tuesday’s meeting was the continuation of a meeting last week when council couldn’t come to an agreement.
And the meeting was one filled with high emotions for Casillas Salas.
At one point, Casillas Salas, frustrated that the council couldn’t reach an agreement, called a 10-minute recess for herself as she slammed her gavel down and stormed off the dais.
Casillas Salas said she always believed the council would come to an understanding.
“I know that sometimes when we have these hard decisions to make, there can be tensions,” she said.
“But I always had trust in my council that they would do the right thing.”
Salas said Miesen will fit right in with the other council members.
“I think he is going to bring a lot of balance to the dais,” she said.
“Because he is a very rational man, he is a very engaging man and he is a very smart man, so he is just the kind of person we need.”
This weekend Salas had a meeting at her home with about 20 people. Former mayor Steve Padilla was in attendance.
Originally 44 applicants had applied for the vacant seat. Then that list got trimmed down to eight finalist: James Clark, Thomas Glover, William “Bill” Hall, Horton, Mark Liuag, Miesen, Lisa Moctezuma and Paguio.
Last November voters overwhelmingly passed Prop. B, which gave council the authority to fill a vacancy on the council, with two years or less left in the term, by appointment or special election.
Vote in a related poll by clicking here.
