The Oakdale City Clerk’s office announced on Thursday, March 19 that four citizens applied and are being considered for the open city council seat vacated by Don Petersen last month.

City Clerk Kathy Texeira said the four that applied for the open seat were:

Stephan Doane, a retired Industrial Engineer;

John Fisher, a program specialist with the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office;

Anjelina Gutierrez, an Assistant to CEO with Ross F Carroll, Inc.,  a Notary Public and also a member of the City Parks and Recreation Commission;

Richard J. Murdoch, a builder and owner of R.J. Murdoch, Inc., who has a General Contractor license, Real Estate Sales license and Landscape Contractor license.

The city council will meet at 6 p.m. prior to its regular meeting on Monday, April 6 at the Oakdale City Council Chambers.

Each candidate will be allowed five minutes to make an introductory presentation to the council members. Following each presentation, the city council will have the opportunity to ask questions of each candidate. Following the questions, the candidates will then have an additional two minutes to provide closing comments.

Immediately following the interviews the city council will hold its regularly scheduled meeting at 7 p.m. During that meeting the city council will deliberate and have the opportunity to appoint one of the four candidates to the vacant City Council seat.

If the council chooses to appoint one of the candidates to the seat, the successful candidate will be sworn in by the city clerk at the April 20 Oakdale City Council meeting.

The appointment will be effective through the date the results of the Presidential/Municipal election from Tuesday, November 8, 2016 get certified.

The vacancy was left by the resignation of Don Petersen from the council effective Feb. 28. When Petersen announced his resignation, he said it was to spend more time traveling and spending time with family, most of which live out of the area.