Politics & Government

Coach Or Commissioner: Who Will Fill Vacant Council Seat?

Jerry Carlos and Rick Morsch named to Lake Elsinore City Council short list.

It was 16, and now it’s down to two applicants for one vacant Lake Elsinore City Council seat.

During a special public meeting Friday, a two-person subcommittee made up of City Council members Melissa Melendez and Brian Tisdale decided the applicant short-list.

Rick Morsch, who currently serves on the city's planning commission, and Jerry Carlos, a retired Riverside County Sheriff's Department deputy and current coach for the Lake Elsinore Unified School District and Perris Unified High School District, were the applicants selected for the short list. to see the applicant long-list.)

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For more than four hours, Melendez and Tisdale took turns putting questions to the applicants in front of a public audience at the Cultural Center on Main Street.

The applicants each answered six questions addressing all manner of City Council issues, such as why the applicants wanted to serve, what they would change in the city, how they would address residents' concerns, ideas on how to improve the business climate, budget issues, city ordinances, architectural standards, redevelopment, housing, lake projects, community facilities districts, city-owned land, business licensing, ethics, and annexation.  

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The two council members also asked a seventh question based on information supplied on individual applications.

When asked about the types of businesses he would like to see come to the city, Morsch, who owns an engineering firm and holds a BA in engineering, said he wanted to attract more entertainment such as restaurants and theaters.

"That's the seed that begins to bring in business," he said, noting that the city is poised and ready.

"The model is there," he said. "We just need incentives to bring the companies in."

Morsch was also asked why he wanted to serve on the City Council, and responded that he seeks to "attain a position where I can have some influence."

Morsch, who began his term on the planning commission in July 2010, explained that he sees a lot of city issues and he wants to bring about change. He pointed to the Community Action Plan, which he said is a "critical" element of the General Plan.

"I would like to be a part of CAP," he said.

Morsch was asked what he believes is needed in the city, and he said Lake Elsinore must support local businesses and it should undergo beautification and cleanup, especially at key entry points like Main Street and Central Avenue.

Carlos, who said he has experience at all government levels, was asked questions ranging from annexation to what he would like to see changed in the city.

On annexation, Carlos was asked whether he would support the 3rd Street annexation and annexation of some unincorporated areas such as Lakeland Village. He said he would support the projects if they were cost effective and made sense for the city.

A long-time resident, Carlos was asked about lake improvement projects. He complimented the city's efforts to turn the lake's health around, but said more emphasis should be placed on attracting tourism and local dollars to the waterfront.

He also said the city should be promoting its businesses to residents with a "shop local" campaign, and he said that generally he would like to see Lake Elsinore become a "classier city."

After Melendez and Tisdale finished their questions, they went behind closed doors to discuss and finalize the short list, a process that took nearly 90 minutes.

When they announced their picks, both council members commended all the applicants.

"Everyone has so many different things to offer," Melendez said.

"We really looked at everything," Tisdale added, explaining that all the applicants had "a lot of good qualifications."

Which of the two applicants will get the final nod is scheduled to be decided at the Aug. 23 City Council meeting.

The term for the vacant City Council seat expires November 2012. The empty seat was created July 26 after

Prior to Friday's meeting, one applicant, Tricia Almiron, told the City Clerk that she wanted to be removed for consideration. In total, 15 applicants were interviewed Friday.


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