Six apply to fill city council vacancy till May
BY PHIL REYNOLDS SOUTH JETTY REPORTER

NAME: JAMES L. POLEWCHAK JR. AGE: 36 OCCUPATION: INDUSTRIAL SALESMAN, PILOT LENGTH OF RESIDENCE: 2 YEARS

City council members will have six applicants to choose from today, Thursday, Feb. 8, when they decide who - if anyone - will fill the vacant city council Place 3.

The applicants include:

+ James L. Polewchak Jr., 36, a Port Aransas resident for two years

+ Eleece Calvert, 60-plus, a Port Aransas resident for 12 years

+ William H.H. Smith III, 60, a Port Aransas resident for 30 years

+ Charles R. Bujan, 63, a Port Aransas resident for 12 years

+ John B. Parker, 63, a Port Aransas resident for 14 months

+ Glenn Martin, 58, a Port Aransas resident for 35 years.

In his application, Polewchak said he has attended city council meetings on a regular basis for two years and believes he can "help make educated, responsible decisions for the community of Port Aransas."

Polewchak, an industrial salesman and pilot, said he was ineligible for consideration for the airport board because he runs a sightseeing opera- tion here, and was ineligible for the Planning and Zoning commission because of land ownership and residential requirements.

NAME: JOHN B. PARKER AGE: 63 OCCUPATION: RETIRED ARCHITECT LENGTH OF RESIDENCE: 14 MONTHS

Calvert, who is semi-retired, said she holds two part-time jobs to keep her hand in. She told the council she has the professional background and commitment as well as the sensitivity to the needs of citizens to make a good council member.

She called herself a "team player" and said she would "be able to work cooperatively with the mayor and the full council."

Smith - better-known as Bill Smith - served a term on the council before deciding last year not to run for the Place 1 spot he occupied. He said his experience as a former city council member will aid in decisions that are brought before the council.

Smith is a realtor-broker in Port Aransas.

Bujan, a candidate for Place 4 in the 2006 election, told the council if appointed, he would do everything possible to continue Jerry Watson's vision for Port Aransas. Retired after 23 years in the corporate world, Bujan said he is aware of parliamentary procedure, departmental budgeting and monitoring and lines of authority.

He pledged to "work hard, listen carefully to your counsel and represent the will of the people."

NAME: CHARLES R. BUJAN AGE: 63 OCCUPATION: RETIRED SMALL BUSINESS OWNER LENGTH OF RESIDENCE: 12 YEARS

Parker is a retired architect who, though he has lived here only 14 months, said his connection with Port Aransas goes back to 1968, when his parents bought a second home here.

He said his architectural experience in Florida gave him first-hand knowledge of dealing with severe wind conditions, shoreline locations and tourism markets. "I believe you could count on me as an enthusiastic person who could get up to speed quickly and make a contribution," he wrote.

Martin served three terms on the city council and then three terms as mayor. He did not run for re-election in 2005; city charter restrictions place term limits on both council members and mayors. He is now a member of the Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority, representing small cities on the board.

Martin wrote that his "11 years' city council experience should provide invaluable service to the city in this short term appointment.

"I love this city," he added.

NAME: GLENN MARTIN AGE: 58 OCCUPATION: CHARTER BOAT AGENCY OWNER/ OPERATOR LENGTH OF RESIDENCE: 35 YEARS

All the applicants except Bujan indicated on the application that they did not intend to run for city council in the May 12 election. Bujan said he had not yet decided about that election, but would run for mayor when incumbent Claude Brown leaves office. Brown's term expires in May 2008; he has not indicated yet whether he would seek re-election.

Place 3 on the council became vacant at the death of councilman Jerry Watson, who had occupied that seat since May 2005. Watson's term will expire on May 12.

The council's sole item on its Feb. 8 agenda is to consider a temporary council member to fill that seat until May. However, at the Jan. 18 council meeting, both council members Keith McMullin and Mike Hall voted against a motion to seek candidates for the vacancy.

"I feel very strongly that council should be elected," Hall said during discussion at that meeting. "I'd rather see the seat stay vacant until the May election so the people can decide who's going to sit in that seat."

City Attorney Mike Morris, also at the Jan. 18 meeting, told the council that according to the city charter, it takes only a majority of the council members present during the vote to appoint a temporary member to fill a vacancy.

NAME: ELEECE CALVERT AGE: 60-PLUS OCCUPATION: SEMI-RETIRED LENGTH OF RESIDENCE: 12 YEARS

The council will meet at 5 p.m. in the council chamber, 710 W. Ave. A. No spot on the agenda is set aside for citizen comments.

NAME: WILLIAM H.H. 'BILL' SMITH III AGE: 60 OCCUPATION: REALTOR-BROKER LENGTH OF RESIDENCE: 30 YEARS