There are 16 applicants vying for the District 5 council seat appointment, all with varied backgrounds, job histories and political experiences.
One will be chosen by sitting council members prior to the board’s regular voting meeting on Monday using the following method: each candidate will have three minutes to plead their case before the dais, and will then field questions from city council.
Once the decision has been made and the candidate selected, that person will then immediately take the seat vacated by Eric Grill to due his suspension by the governor, and begin making decisions.
It’s that instantaneous learning curve that Mayor John Sullivan said would require someone to be well versed in city issues.
He said that someone who regularly attends meetings might have a leg up on those who don’t.
“I’d prefer someone who’s been in there and knows what’s going on,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan said a decision has not already been made, and would closely scrutinize all the applicants.
People with previous experience either on council or as a city employee might also find themselves with an advantage, but Sullivan said ultimately the key is finding someone who is ready to put in the work.
“We need someone who is dedicated to follow through on this,” he said. “This is not a shot in the dark. I’ve talked to some (of the candidates), and some are willing to put in the time, do what they need to do.”
District 6 council member Kevin McGrail said he’s been impressed with not only the number of applicants, but their qualifications.
He’s already met with some in his office, he said, and he’s asked those he’s met with personally if they can make independent decisions.
McGrail, too, hopes the decision has not already been made, and that each applicant will have a fair shot to be appointed District 5’s council member while Grill awaits adjudication on a felony charge related to his construction business.
“It is my most fervent wish this is not the case,” he said of the decision already being made. “If it is, this whole process would have been a sham. It would insult the 16 very qualified people, many of whom would complement our council.”
District 2 Councilmember Pete Brandt said he would look for candidates that share a similar philosophy to his own, a philosophy he said is summed up with the “Contract with Cape Coral.”
“I would lean more towards someone that has than someone that would not,” he said of those willing to sign the contract. “But I have not specifically called and asked someone to do it.”
Like Sullivan, Brandt said he would also favor candidates who have attended council meetings on a regular basis.
“If they’re participating and keeping track … they’ll be a lot more prepared to jump in and do what’s needed.”
Public comment will not be allowed during the interview and selection process.
With council holding its regular meeting immediately following the 4 p.m. selection process, chances are those on the dais will be in for a long night.
District 1 Councilmember Marty McClain said he would prefer to offer citizens the chance to comment.
He also said he’s disheartened by what he says are rumors about the decision already being made, which is making the rounds, even on the dais.
“I’m disappointed there’s people out there who already know how this thing is going to turn out,” he said.
The following are brief bios on the 16 candidates for the District 5 city council member seat.
Daniel King’s contact information was unavailable because he is a past member of law enforcement. Cheryl Peppers declined taking part in the questioning. And Tom Lango could not be reached. Information for those three candidates was taken from their application material.

– Bennie Barnes, age 58
– Length of residence in district, 25 years
– Profession, broadcast engineer and general contractor
– Education, Associate Degree in electrical engineering
– Why do you want the seat? I’d lost to Eric Grill and Gloria Baron a couple of years ago.
– What do you hope to accomplish? This city is in the worst times I’ve ever seen, and if I could be part of the solution, I feel it’s my civic duty to do so.

– Gloria Zimrha Baron, age 75
– Length of residence in city, 33 years, 16 in district
– Profession, former city employee
– Education, bachelors degree in business, associate degrees in construction and construction engineering
– Why do you want the seat? I ran against him (Eric Grill) in 2007 and lost by a small amount.
– What do you hope to accomplish? I hope to accomplish some stability and to bring some confidence back to the city.

– Roger Butler, age 74
– Length of residence in city, 37 years, 5 in district
– Profession, former police chief, former Cape mayor
– Highest level of education, GED
– Why do you want the seat? I have a lot of experience they (council) can use with the issues they have.
– What do you hope to accomplish? I think I can bring some background to council in regards to their issues. I’ve been involved in the community for many years.

– Charlene Campbell, age 56
– Length of residence in city, 25 years, 17 in district
– Profession. general contractor
– Education, associates degree in construction
– Why do you want the seat? I’ve watched our community and I’ve lived here and my neighbors have encouraged me to come forward. They think it would be a great idea to have me represent them.
– What do you hope to accomplish? I think our city needs diversified growth, diversified industry to invest in Cape Coral. Even if I were only in the seat for 100 days I would try to lure businesses like solar energy and biomedical.

– Stephen Golub, age 56
– Length of residence in district, 6 years
– Profession, teacher
– Education, masters degree in political science, bachelors degree in political science, associates degree in telecommunications
– Why do you want the seat? I am one of those people that have a big mouth and gets frustrated with the way things are. I don’t want to talk I want to do something about it. My wife and I saved our home from foreclosure, we’re here for the duration.
– What do you hope to accomplish? I wish to make the city what it was six years ago.

– Dennis Hahn, age 42
– Length of residence in city, 6 years, in year in district
– Profession, owner/manager Top Notch Coffee Eatery
– Education, some college
– Why do you want the seat? I own a small cafe and every day for me is like a townhall meeting. I’m really hearing the people of the district everyday.
– What do you hope to accomplish? There’s some big decisions coming up that will affect our city for a long time, and I want to be part of that. I want to prove to the council that someone other than a developer and lawyer sitting on the board, with no hidden agendas, knows what they’re doing.

– Daniel King, age n/a*
– Length of residence in district, n/a
– Profession, special affairs specialist
– Education, bachelors of science, associate arts degree
– Why do you want the seat? n/a
– What do you want to accomplish? n/a
* Mr. King could not be reached for comment. Information obtained is from his application

– Erick Kuehn, age 66
– Length of residence in district, 7 years
– Profession, retired insurance agent
– Education, bachelors of science in languages
– Why do you want the seat? I have been a public servant all my life. I love to talk to people, I’m a community activist, and for three years attended all council meetings.
– What do you hope to accomplish? I have no personal agenda, I represent no special interest groups. The only one I represent is all the residents of Cape Coral.

– Tom Lango, age n/a *
– Length of residence in city, n/a
– Profession, unemployed
– Education, high school
– Why do you want the seat? n/a
– What do you hope to accomplish? n/a

* Mr. Lango could not be reached for comment. Information obtained is from his application

– Aimee McLaughlin, age 33
– Length of residence in district, 9 years
– Profession, director of Communications, Children’s Network of SWFL
– Education, bachelors in clinical psychology
– Why do you want the seat? I want to offer the city a fresh perspective. I live in the district, I know the families and I know I’m representative of the constituents.
– What do you hope to accomplish? To follow the fundamentals of the strategic plan, including economic development and growth. I want to do fair justice to the city, to make sure our constituents voices are being heard.

– Terry Miller, age 36
– Length of residence in city, 13 years, 5 in district
– Profession, sales rep for Sysco Foods
– Education, New England Culinary School
– why do you want the seat? With all we’ve been through with previous councils we need someone with honesty and integrity to bring balance to the board.
– What do you hope to accomplish? I hope to help the present council work on getting costs down, and make sure tax payers pay the lowest possible utility rates.

– William Scott Morris, age 53
– Length of residence in city, 20 years, 7 years in district
– Profession, attorney
– Education, Warshburn University Law School
– Why do you want the seat? I think positive change comes from the exchange of ideas, and I think I can bring some different things.
– What do you hope to accomplish? Help Cape Coral become a better environment for the citizens … I have a good pulse on the community and can bring the concerns of the citizens to city council.

– Cheryl Peppers, n/a
– Length of residence in district, n/a
– Profession, management consultant
– Education, Ph.D in organization psychology, MA in cross cultural studies, BS education (music)
– Why do you want the seat? n/a
– What do you hope to accomplish? n/a
* Ms. Peppers declined comment. Information obtained is from her application

– George Propps, age 75
– Length of residence in district, 8 years
– Profession, retired developer
– Education, Indiana University, Indiana University Law School
– Why do you want the seat? I’m a people person and a problem solver. I see a lot of problems in Cape Coral. Maybe my new ideas can help bring about some better living for the citizens.
– What do you hope to accomplish? I would like to bring unity to the board, and some smiling occasionally.

– Robert Randolph II, age 60
– Length of residence in district, 4 years
– Profession, retired sheriff from Price County, WI
– Education, some college
– Why do you want the seat? I think I can be an asset to the city, and do what the citizens want. I have no agenda coming forward.
– What do you hope to accomplish? The city has too much on their plate right now, I hope to get some things done. Every day there’s things coming up.

– Stephen Spring, age 52
– Length of residence in district, five years
– Profession, self employed
– Education, masters degree in business
– Why do you want the seat? I think the Cape has a lot of offer and we need to tell the positive side of the story. There’s too much negativity.
– What do you hope to accomplish? Focus on economic development

– Edward Wilcox, age 71
– Length of residence in district, 3-1/2 years
– Profession, retired police sergeant and prosecutor
– Education, law degree, associates degree in law enforcement, masters degree in police administration
– Why do you want the seat? I was an elected official up north and I’ve followed council very closely.
– What do you hope to accomplish? I would want to try to make the council run effectively and try to work with the other members to keep things on the right path for what ever period of time necessary.