Third candidate possible for council race

Whether or not Sonoma will hold a City Council election Nov. 4 depends on the person who pulled nomination papers at 9 a.m. Tuesday.
Hospitality consultant and La Luz boardmember Alain Piallat had not yet filed the completed forms with the City Clerk’s office by press time Tuesday. The deadline for filing was yesterday at 5 p.m.
Both Sonoma Mayor Joanne Sanders and challenger Laurie Gallian filed for the two open council seats Friday. If Piallat didn’t do likewise, California’s Election Code gives the City Council the option of skipping the election and appointing Sanders and Gallian to the dais at the agency’s Dec. 3 session.
The council’s five members serve overlapping four-year terms with elections every two years – which put Sanders and incumbent Councilmember Stanley Cohen up for re-election in November. But in May, Cohen announced he wouldn’t seek a second term.
Generally, Sonoma’s council race sees more candidates when an incumbent chooses not to run – 2002’s three-vacancy council election drew nine candidates, and 2004 and 2006 saw six people apiece vying for two seats.
“There has been some speculation that perhaps Stanley would change his mind due to the lack of people coming forward,” City Clerk Gay Rainsbarger said Friday. But later that day, Cohen reaffirmed his commitment to leaving office – though not without a tinge of regret.
“I’m hoping the theory that people will come in on Monday will be true, otherwise we won’t have a selection,” Cohen said.
Four candidates will be vying for three seats on the Sonoma Valley Health Care District board. Incumbents Mike Nugent and Mike Smith will not be seeking re-election, but colleague Bill Boerum will be joined by challengers Madolyn Agrimonti, Peter Hohorst and William Gurry.
Of the other races brewing in Sonoma Valley, only two were headed for election by Tuesday press time. On the education front, incumbent John Musilli will be facing challenger Alexander Bantis for re-election to the Area 1 seat on the Sonoma County Board of Education. Three board vacancies for the Valley of the Moon Fire Protection District will pit incumbents Ray Brunton, Dawn Mittleman and William Norton against contender Elissa Wadleigh.
A lack of candidates means one of two vacancies may remain unfilled on the Kenwood School governing board, as Patricia Alexander was the sole nominee as of Tuesday. Sandra Lowe is stepping down as Sassarini Elementary School’s representative to the Sonoma Valley Unified School District, to be replaced by newcomer Gary De Smet. Incumbents Nicole Ducarroz and Helen Marsh will reclaim their respective seats as the Dunbar and Prestwood representatives.
Elsewhere in the Valley, two open seats on the Kenwood Fire Protection District are being refilled by incumbents James Kempers and Frederick Sand. The same applies for the Valley of the Moon Water District’s incumbents Mark Bramfitt, Ed Kenny and Ron Prushko.