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At last night’s meeting, the Eureka City Council unanimously voted to appoint Councilmember Leslie Castellano, the city’s First Ward representative, as Mayor Pro Tem for the second consecutive year. 

Castellano | Screenshot

Councilmember Scott Bauer made a motion to appoint Castellano, noting that she “has done a great job” during her time in the position. Councilmember Renee Contreras-De Loach agreed and offered a second to the motion, which passed 5-0, with Councilmember Kati Moulton appearing via Zoom.

What exactly does the Mayor Pro Tem do, you ask? The Mayor Pro Tem is an appointed position that is essentially second-in-command to the Mayor. If the Mayor is absent, the Mayor Pro Tem is the person who presides over city council meetings in their place. In some cities, the Mayor Pro Tem takes on additional responsibilities, like training new council members.

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Other notable bits from last night’s meeting:

• Remember last month when a group of determined city employees braved a so-called bomb cyclone and bitter sea winds to hang up Christmas decorations at the Old Town Gazebo? That ordeal was a part of the Mayor’s Holiday Lighting Fundraising Campaign, which raised nearly $23,000 to light up Old Town for the holiday season. The city council approved a proclamation in support of the initiative.
• The city council finalized plans for the Harris Medical Center Project, a multi-use housing development and medical facility slated for the former Apostolic Faith Church on Harris Street, near Henderson Center. 
• The city council received a presentation on design standards and neighborhood character from Cristin Kenyon, the city’s director of development services. The presentation was the third and final installment in a series that looked into the city’s past, present and future design standards and how those decisions have influenced Eureka’s aesthetics and zoning regulations. The council discussed different aspects of the city’s current design review process and how it could be improved upon but did not take any formal action on the item.
• The city council also approved an amendment to the city’s Private Sewer Lateral Ordinance that will give eligible property owners a little more flexibility in making city-mandated repairs to their sewer lines.
• The city council finalized the results of last month’s General Election.
• The city council also went through the annual process of appointing its members to boards, commissions, working groups and various local committees.

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You can find a recording of last night’s meeting at this link. See you next year, Eureka City Council!