Council to interview candidates for empty seat

Springfield City Council is scheduled to interview candidates tomorrow for the seat left vacant by Jeff Seifried.

Five applied for the Zone 1 seat, which Seifried left in February to become CEO of the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The interviews are scheduled:

• 11:50 a.m.-noon, Brett Esch, quality analyst at JPMorgan Chase & Co;
• noon-12:10 p.m., Joseph Hoffman, former U.S. Army officer in logistics, finance and operations;
• 12:10-12:20 p.m., Eric Wood, retired U.S. Army senior maintenance supervisor;
• 12:20-12:30 p.m., Phyllis Ferguson, chief operating officer and treasurer at Mexican Villa; and
• 12:30-12:40 p.m., Brittany Hopp, partner at York & Hopp CPAs.

Candidates will be asked a series of questions about Zone 1 and the city at large, focusing on economic development and job creation, public safety, neighborhood needs and civic engagement, according to a news release.

The interviews are slated to be held at the Busch Municipal Building, 840 N. Boonville Ave.

The new council member would join four new members, chosen by voters during the April 7 general election: Justin Burnett, Kristi Fulnecky, Ken McClure and Mike Schilling. Because Seifried’s vacated position expires in 2017, the Zone 1 seat was not up for vote in the election, according to Springfield Business Journal archives.[[In-content Ad]]