Ledger-Dispatch

By Kelly Enos (kenos@ledger-dispatch.com) =

Chester "Skip" Schaufel was appointed = to the Ione=20 City Council at a special meeting Monday night. He will serve the=20 remainder of former Councilman Jeff Barnhart's term, who resigned = last=20 month.

Photo by: Kelly=20 Enos
A local businessman was selected from = a pool=20 of three applicants to fill a vacant seat on the Ione City Council at a = special=20 meeting Monday night.

Chester "Skip" Schaufel originally ran for = city=20 council against Jeff Barnhart, coming in a close second. With Barnhart = having=20 vacated the seat last month, Schaufel was able to edge out the=20 competition.

Schaufel cited a strong desire to see the city = prosper and=20 thrive. A cohesive city government with integrity and drive would take = the city=20 into their future, he added. Schaufel also thanked the council for being = "swayed=20 by facts, not personality" and promised a full commitment of his time = and energy=20 in representing the people of Ione.

He currently serves as the = secretary=20 of the Ione Business and Community Association, secretary of the Rotary = Club of=20 Ione and a member of the Ione Visioning Committee.

"Also, I have = already=20 completed the ethics training that is required to sit on the council," = Schaufel=20 added.

The applicants expressed their interest in filling the = position=20 vacated by Barnhart by submitting letters to the city for review. The = city=20 council's 30-day deadline to appoint a replacement for Barnhart, who = resigned=20 last month because of an increasing workload at his day job, was set to = expire=20 April 17. Letters of interest were due April 3.

Applicant David = Plank,=20 who currently serves as the vice chair of the Ione Planning Commission, = was=20 first to address the council. Plank cited his experience in corporate = America as=20 his stepping stone into city politics and said similar attitudes would = assist=20 the city regarding the decisions it now faces.

"I have my = favorites when=20 it comes to Ione's issues, but I believe the city manager will keep us = informed=20 and on track," Plank said, referring to City Manager Kim Kerr.

An = interim=20 bypass for the city, a new police station, and re-establishing the Ione = High=20 School topped Plank's list of goals. Councilman Jerry Sherman questioned = Plank's=20 views on constructing a new fire station rather than a new police = headquarters,=20 saying construction of both facilities would put Ione into debt, from = which the=20 city had just recovered. Plank responded that he saw no harm in = borrowing=20 "within yourself."

"Frankly, as long as there is a time limit on = the loan=20 and it makes sense, then do it," he added.

Elmer Rohde, another = local=20 resident who applied for the empty seat, was unable to attend the = meeting, but=20 his letter of interest was read by Kerr. Rohde had been employed by IBM = for 36=20 years and has attended all city council meetings since 2005. Rohde's = letter said=20 he began attending the meetings to keep current on the Castle Oaks = Mello-Roos=20 bond issues, but became involved in other city issues as meetings=20 progressed.

"I am very interested in the future of Ione," Rohde = said in=20 his letter. "Although I disagree with the statement that the council is = a=20 full-time job, I am willing and able to dedicate the time needed to work = with=20 council for the good of Ione."

Sherman said each applicant = possessed a=20 caliber that the council needed to achieve its goals, adding that he = looked=20 forward to working with whomever was chosen. He also apologized that = there was=20 only one seat open, as it would be a "tough decision." But he hoped that = the=20 applicants who weren't chosen would consider running for election in = November as=20 he and Mayor Andrea Bonham were unsure whether they would serve=20 again.

"There will be two seats in November's election," Sherman = said.=20 "All of you are qualified and I hope you will run for election=20 then."

Vice Mayor Lee Ard made a motion to appoint Plank, which = was=20 seconded by Bonham and blocked by Sherman and Councilman Jim Ulm. Ulm = then=20 nominated Schaufel, which was seconded by Sherman and passed = unanimously.=20 Schaufel was congratulated and sworn in by City Clerk Janice Traverso = and will=20 serve the remainder on Barnahrt's term.

Kelly = Enos