City Council appoints planning commissioner to Masry’s seat

Planning Commission Chair Tom Glancy was chosen to fill Ed Masry’s seat on the Thousand Oaks City Council.

Council members appointed Glancy on Tuesday night after interviewing 32 applicants for more than three hours.

Mayor Claudia Bill-de la Peña was the only council member to vote against the appointment, reiterating that she preferred a special election to allow the public to choose Masry’s replacement.

The spot on the five-member council opened after Ed Masry resigned on Nov. 30, just days before passing away on Dec. 5. Masry, who had struggled with diabetes-related health issues since March, had completed one year of a second four-year term.

A few days after Masry’s death, the council voted to appoint a replacement rather than hold a special election. Bill-de la Peña was the lone dissenter in that vote as well.

Glancy will serve Masry’s remaining three years. A resident of Thousand Oaks for 25 years, Glancy is a former U.S. Navy officer and past president of the local Rotary Club. He was appointed to the planning commission by Councilmember Dennis Gillette. Glancy will be sworn in at tonight’s council reorganization meeting at 6:30 at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza.

Initially, 43 residents applied for the spot, but several pulled out. The candidates ran the gamut of longtime volunteers, business owners, educators, city leaders, retirees and concerned citizens. Applicants were given three minutes each to address the council on why they wanted the appointment. Council members questioned some applicants about the city’s future challenges and about their awareness of the time involved in serving on the council.

Each council member presented their top four choices, revealing the council’s majority faction.

Councilmembers Andy Fox and Jacqui Irwin’s lists were identical–Robert Biery, Forrest Fields, John DiGuiseppe and Glancy. Councilmember Dennis Gillette’s choices were the same with the exception of Fields. Gillette chose former mayor Bob Wilson instead. Bill-de la Peña’s choices were Michael Farris, Alyse Lazar, Amy Walker-Daviand Laura Lee Custodio. “I know my candidates don’stand a snowball’s chance in very hot place seeing now thathree of my colleagues have several candidates in common,” Billde la Peña said. She did praise Glancy as “wonderful person, always verinvolved and professional.” “It was not completely unexpected that Mr. Glancy would bappointed. There have been discussions about it,” Bill-de la Peñsaid.

Fox and Irwin commended Glancy for being “fair-minded and independent,” qualities thaMasry would have wanted in successor, they said. Several members of the audience left abruptly as the announcement was made.

“This is wrong,” one woman said loudly. Some speakers expressed disappointment that the selection occurred on the same day as Masry’funeral.

“I’m greatly offended that you scheduled this on the night of Ed Masry’s funeral. There was no urgency,” said former acting city attorney Alyse Lazar said in her speech as an applicant for Masry’s seat.

Lazar, Walker-Davis and several other candidates pointed to philosophies similar to Masry’s as appropriate in filling the vacancy. Others presented themselves as “protest candidates,” objecting to the council’s ruling majority that decided against a special election.

“This process indicates that the city council has already established who will replace Mr. Masry,” said Nancy Kilbourn, the first candidate to speak. “This city council does not pay close attention to residents’ wants and needs. There’s a lot of frustration. People feel abandoned.”

Several, including Michael Farris, said if they were appointed they would step down to allow for an election for the remainder of the term.

“You should look to send an olive branch to all aspects of this community and honor Ed Masry and what he wished,” Farris said.