As was previously announced, Westlake Village city council member Philippa Klessig has stepped down as she has sold her home, and is moving away from the area (as one might expect, council members must reside in the City of Westlake Village). Last night was council member Philippa Klessig’s last meeting. During the meeting a number of local dignitaries thanked Mrs. Klessig for her years of service.
The Westlake Village City Council now has only four of the five seats filled. This is unprecedented for the City of Westlake Village, but similar situations have happened locally and there is a set of rules governing what happens under California law.
The next step will be for the City to determine precisely what its options are. With Mrs. Klessig’s seat have a term that ends just later this year as determined in the upcoming November 2015 election, there are additional options (when compared to a vacancy happening towards the beginning of a term).
In general however, the City will likely have the choice of:
– leaving the seat empty
– appointing a resident for the balance of the term
– holding a special election
There will be time frames and limits one when actions can be taken, but expect that the City will determine it’s options, calendar the item for an upcoming meeting agenda, discuss it and ultimately decide. That decision, governed by California law, would likely happen over the next couple of months, giving the process ample time.
