Sunset Valley appoints new council member

Cardona explained that her support of Powers boiled down to her previous council experience and how each applicant would work in the current committee system.

She started by saying that her vote has nothing to do with Machemehl personally.

"The hardest thing for me, to be honest and self-depreciating here, is that both candidates are better suited to be mayor than myself," she said. "One of the things I kept coming back to is that if I were voting for either of them as mayor, I could vote for either of them."

Background

In May, Sunset Valley voters elected Cardona mayor and sent Jenkins and Zubair Hamir to City Council. Hamir resigned in August, stating that he and his family planned to move out of the city.

City Administrator Clay Collins said that because of the timing of Hamir's resignation, the city missed its chance to elect a new council member in November. City Council chose to appoint a new member rather than to wait until May.

City Council requested applications to fill the vacancy, and Powers and Machemehl applied.

Powers is the director of a nonprofit that helps the formerly incarcerated re-enter society. She has lived in the city for 33 years.

Machemehl is a professor of transportation engineering at The University of Texas. He has lived in the city for 11 years.

Powers and Machemehl addressed the council at the Oct. 9 meeting.

Committees and historic perspectives

Cardona said committee representation was an issue for her.

Machemehl currently serves on the Public Works Committee. She reasoned that his extensive traffic engineering experience makes him a natural fit for Public Works Committee chairman—a position Jenkins already holds and may be unwilling to give up.

Machemehl could chair another committee—Budget, Finance and Administration is currently vacant—but it would prevent him from using what his supporters viewed as his signature strength.

"Randy needs to be on Public Works,'" she said. If the council appointed Powers, Machemehl could stay on Public Works.

"Clearly we don't want to lose him [for his views on] water issues, road issues and how we spend money on those two issues," she said.

Cardona went on to say that Powers' historic perspective as a longtime resident and former councilwoman was crucial to her.

"I don't feel like we have that perspective that remembers how we did things way back when," she said. "That doesn't mean I will agree with how we did it back then, but I want that perspective. I want one person—even if I am pushing against that person [on an issue]—to say, 'We need to remember why we did this, or why we gave that up.'"

Reactions

Mayor Pro Tem Rudi Rosengarten thanked Machemehl for applying.

"As someone who lost by one vote, let me tell you—keep at it. Eventually they'll let you [serve on the council]. Come out for the next election," Councilman Jeff Burdett said to laughter from meeting attendees.

Burdett narrowly lost his race to Hamir and was appointed to the council after Cardona resigned her seat to become mayor.

Jenkins said the council had "an embarrassment of riches" in the caliber of the two applicants. He urged Machemehl to stay active in city government.

When asked to comment after the meeting, Machemehl said he was glad the council had made its decision. He approached the dais and congratulated Powers.

For her reaction, Powers praised Machemehl's knowledge of transportation issues and said the council had an excellent choice in her fellow applicant. She also hoped Machemehl remained active in city affairs.