3 Apply for Council Vacancy

So far just three Kent residents have applied for the seat on Kent City Council vacated earlier this month when Robin Turner handed in his resignation.

And all three names should look familiar to Kent residents.

The three who have applied so far are former Kent health commissioner John Ferlito, Kent Planning Commission member Melissa Long and longtime community activist Doria Daniels.

Daniels founded the Thomas Anderson Development Corporation with other residents of Kent's South End neighborhood more than 20 years ago to address deterioration of the neighborhood and to foster home rehabilitation and ownership.

Ferlito retired as health commissioner in 2011 after spending 38 years working in Kent — the last 25 of which were as health commissioner.

Long, a member of the planning commission for the past five years, narrowly lost her bid for council as representative for Ward 1 in 2011. She lost by seven votes to incumbent Garret Ferrara.

Council members have 30 days to make an appointment to fill Turner's seat, and they are expected to interview applicants and vote on the appointment during their Nov. 28 meeting.

Interested applicants can contact the mayor's office or the council clerk.

This month's appointment to council isn't the only one in recent years.

In February council appointed former Theodore Roosevelt High School principal Roger Sidoti to fill the vacancy left by Erik Valenta. Sidoti was one of 16 applicants for the at-large position. Ferlito had also applied.