East Lansing City Council to interview 5 finalists for open seat Saturday
EAST LANSING — The City Council has narrowed down a list of 14 candidates for a council vacancy to five.
Public interviews are scheduled Saturday for a slate of finalists that include a restaurant manager and former police lieutenant.
At the City Council meeting Tuesday, members voted to move forward with interviewing Abigail Tykocki, Daniel Bollman, Noel Gracia Jr., Mikey Manuel and Nichole Biber.
East Lansing City Councilmember Lisa Babcock was elected to serve as an East Lansing 54B District Court judge and resigned from her council seat effective Dec. 28, creating the opening. The candidate selected to fill the vacancy will complete the term that ends with the Nov. 7 election.
Starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, City Council will host a special meeting at the Hannah Community Center to interview the candidates and could take potential action afterward.
City Council will ask candidates questions like what candidates would hope to accomplish in the role, what the three most pressing concerns are to the community, and how they would address equity and inclusion.
Biber is scheduled to be interviewed at about 9 a.m. She is a Robert L. Green Elementary School library paraprofessional with a doctorate in English from Michigan State University and a master’s degree in English from Grand Valley State University. She currently serves on the city’s Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission, according to her council application.
Tykocki is scheduled to be interviewed at about 9:30 a.m. She is a production manager and academic specialist for MSU with a master’s degree in arts, entertainment and media management from Columbia College. She currently serves as an East Lansing Arts commissioner, according to her application.
Garcia is scheduled to be interviewed at about 10 a.m. He is a Wilson Talent Center law enforcement instructor and a retired Lansing Police Department lieutenant with a master’s degree in criminal justice from MSU, according to his application. He currently serves on the city’s Independent Police Oversight Commission.
Manuel is scheduled to be interviewed at about 10:30 a.m. He is the general manager at Haslett restaurant Blondie’s Barn and has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Central Michigan University. He currently serves on the city’s Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission, according to his application.
Bollman is scheduled to be interviewed at about 11 a.m. He is a principal at East Arbor Architecture, LLC and has master’s degrees in architecture and business administration from the University of Michigan, according to his application. He currently serves on the East Lansing Planning Commission.
East Lansing City Council candidates who were not selected for final interviews include Barbara Hiranpradist, Chris Wardell, Eston Livingston, Eugenia Zacks-Carney, Island Ewert, Kalette Willis, Laith Mihyar, Rebecca Kasen and Tina Farhat.
Contact Bryce Airgood at 517-267-0448 or bairgood@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @bairgood123.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: East Lansing City Council to interview 5 finalists for open seat Saturday
