By Mary Thurwachter
The four remaining members of the Lantana Town Council will go it alone until the March 12 election, opting not to appoint anyone to the Group 2 seat vacated last month by Cindy Austino.
Austino, who is moving to Florida’s Panhandle with her family, resigned Sept. 10. During her tearful farewell, she encouraged the council to appoint Rosemary Mouring, a longtime community volunteer and new appointee to the town’s planning commission.
Mouring has expressed her interest, and so have others, according to Mayor Dave Stewart, who said about 14 residents had spoken to him regarding the position.
One of them was Jerry Bayuk, chairman of the planning commission.
“I just don’t feel it’s right to have an empty chair,” Bayuk told the council.
Mouring echoed that sentiment. “You should appoint someone, because it’s a disservice to the town to have an empty chair,” she said.
But Joe Farrell, who unsuccessfully ran against Tom Deringer in the last election two years ago, said while he was interested in the seat, the town should wait for an election.
Council members were in agreement, though, that the voters, not the council, should decide who represents them.
“I’ve run two campaigns for this chair, and you have to get out and knock on doors,” council member Phil Aridas said. “It’s all part of getting elected.”
Eleven years ago, residents pressed for change in Lantana when the town hadn’t had a contested mayoral race for 15 years. Since then, the town’s charter was changed to prevent mayors from being routinely appointed, rather than elected.
In other action, the town delayed acting on a lease agreement that would continue to give the Lantana Chamber of Commerce use of the building at 212 Iris Ave. for its headquarters. The Chamber has occupied the town-owned building at no charge for 50 years, and the new lease agreement would charge a token $1 per year.
Stewart said the Chamber needed to be responsible for all maintenance.
“They just need to take care of the building, pure and simple,” Stewart said.
Chamber President Dave Arm said the organization already handles most maintenance, although the town had replaced the air conditioner. He said the town, as owner, should be responsible for roof repairs or replacement, if that were ever needed.
Arm said he would discuss the matter with his board before the issue returns at a future town meeting.
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