Council member sought

Coachella is looking for someone to fill its vacated City Council seat.

As of this Tuesday morning, no one had applied to fill the spot left by former Councilwoman Maggie Zepeda, who stepped down last month for personal reasons, Deputy City Clerk Andrea Carranza said.

However, the deadline to apply is 5 p.m. today, and city officials expect at least several residents to submit applications, Carranza said.

The council has scheduled a special public meeting for Friday, during which all applicants would be interviewed by the council. The council could then select someone to fill out Zepeda’s term, which will expire in November of next year, Carranza said.

It’s not clear what would happen if the council could not agree on a replacement, but it  may be allowed to choose a candidate without a public interview process, Carranza said.

Anyone interested may apply through the City Clerk’s office, 1515 Sixth St., or online at coachella.org.

To be eligible, an applicant must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old, a Coachella resident and registered to vote in the city.

The council meets on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month. Each council member receives a “nominal stipend” for their service, according to the City Clerk’s office.