The Langley City Council unanimously picked two community members who have been at the center of the city’s growth planning to replace a pair of council members who recently resigned.

Paul Samuelson and Bob Waterman beat out four other candidates for the city council seats, which were left vacant after the resignations of Faith Bushby and Doug Allderdice in July.

Both Samuelson and Waterman were members of the executive team of the city’s comprehensive plan group, but the pair resigned after being appointed to the city council Wednesday.

They will, however, remain chairmen of their respective comp plan committees.

Council members said the choice wasn’t an easy decision. The council deliberated in two executive sessions that were closed to the public, and each lasted more than 30 minutes as council members discussed the candidates’ qualifications in private.

As the council reemerged, Councilman Robert Gilman said he was impressed with the quality of all the applicants for the council.

“What a wealth,” he said.

“This is yet another reflection of this wonderful place,” Gilman added.

Councilwoman Rene Neff said with six candidates, and just two open positions, four of the council hopefuls were bound to be disappointed.

“But I encourage all to continue their public service,” she said.

Even longtime council member Jim Recupero was impressed.

“I have been on the council for a number of years. It’s the first time I’ve seen six candidates,” Recupero said.

Council members said they chose Waterman and Samuelson because they were the most qualified.

The council also chose whom they believe they can best work with, Gilman said.

“It did take us a while, but we each came to our own conclusion and agreed,” he said.

“Both people are capable of doing their homework and asking the right questions,” Gilman added.

Neff said she was very impressed with both men’s depth of involvement in the community, and said each would bring a different approach to the table.

Samuelson is outgoing and an experienced politician, while Waterman is quiet, a methodical researcher and a skillful activist.

Samuelson has served the community in a variety of capacities, including volunteering to serve on the comp plan group, the South Whidbey school board and the Whidbey Island Council of the Arts board.

Most recently, he has become a consultant to the Greenbank Farm Management Group. Samuelson also led the campaign to get Langley’s property tax levy raised last year.

Waterman is part of the comp plan group and is the chairman of the transportation committee. He was the co-chairman of the Imagine Langley project.

Waterman is involved in the South Whidbey Historical Society, among other activities.

Six apply for seats

Before the appointments, council members quizzed the six candidates — four men and two women — about their qualifications, motivation, availability and vision for Langley.

Herb Helsel has experience with transportation and planning. He runs the Langley Clock & Gallery, and has also served the city on its Planning Advisory Board.

Richard Burdsal moved to Langley in 1997 after retiring from Boeing. While he admitted he didn’t have much experience in government, he said he knows it is important to listen to citizens.

“I believe in listening beyond words. I have a special capability of listening to the underlying message,” Burdsal said.

Melanie Shafaat is a former special education teacher who is working on a graduate degree in organizational change. She said she is dedicated to addressing community health issues and Langley’s youth.

Marilee Seligson is a member of the Design Review Board and active in the community. Seligson also brought 29 years of government experience from her former career working for the state of New York.

Seligson also stressed it was important to have adequate representation of women on the council.

Despite having two qualified female candidates, the council chose two men. By picking two men, the representation of women on the council has shrunk and men now outnumber women on the council four to one.

“The gender issue was on our mind,” Gilman said. “And you’ll get many different opinions on the issue, but it was not the defining criteria.”

Neff, the only remaining woman on the council, said she strongly believes in equality and women in government. But she focused on picking the best person for the job.

“I didn’t want to make it about who was a man or a woman,” she said.

“I don’t feel women are underrepresented now,” Neff added.

Time is an issue

During the council interviews, the candidates said they all have plenty of time to do the reading and research that city council work requires.

Most candidates are retired; only Samuelson and Shafaat aren’t.

Samuelson said that he wants to stay a barber in town to “not lose touch with the community.” Shafaat said she works to put her son through college, but her experience as a graduate student has prepared her for extensive reading.

Waterman, however, said even though he is retired, he will miss six weeks, or three consecutive council meetings, to teach in Arizona this fall.

Council members later said they discussed the issue, but felt that missing three consecutive sessions will not affect Waterman’s ability to serve.

Historically, Gilman said, other council members were gone on extended vacations and the council always found ways to keep people in the loop.

Neff said missing a meeting was not a big deal.

“All of us have missed two to three meetings a year,” she said. “All of us were afforded that.”

All candidates stressed similar issues during the selection process; economic sustainability, growth and affordable housing, as well as balancing Langley’s demographics and attracting a younger population to the city.

There were few distinctions. Seligson additionally said choices in healthcare is an important issue in Langley.

Helsel and Burdsal both stressed diplomacy instead of conflict and involving the community in government process.

And Shafaat underlined the importance of youth issues and affordable houses for young families.

The appointment of the new city council members drew a crowd of about 20 residents, including former council members Bushby and Allderdice.

Not all were happy with the outcome, though.

Hal Seligson, the chairman of the city’s Planning Advisory Board and Marilee’s husband, resigned in the aftermath of the meeting.

“I’ve enjoyed the privilege of working with a number of talented and dedicated people in Langley and beyond to help accomplish meaningful things for the benefit of our community,” he wrote in a open letter to city officials.

“However, developments in local governance, accumulating over time and culminating in events surrounding Wednesday evening’s appointments to the Langley City Council, have brought me to realize that I should complete my retirement from government service – at least for now,” he wrote.