BRUNSWICK — Nine resi­dents turned in applications by Tuesday’s deadline for the open City Council seat previ­ously held by ousted Ward 4 Councilman Anthony Capretta.

Council will interview the candidates beginning 6 p.m. Monday in executive session and could possibly make a decision that night, Ward 1 Councilman Chuck Ricco said.

Capretta

Capretta was removed from office Sept. 27 for an ethics violation, and Council has until Oct. 27 to replace him.

Capretta can appeal the decision in Common Pleas Court, but Council does not have to wait for the outcome to fill the open seat, Ricco said.

The residents who applied are: Drew Burge, Keith Kuczma, Jennifer McCafferty Case, Kenneth J. Palguta, John Rocha, Joseph Salzge­ber, Edward Tuma, John Welker Jr. and Lisa Zamiska. Rocha and Salzgeber previ­ously served on Council.

“There’s a lot of fresh names on the list, which is a good thing,” Ricco said. “I always like to see new people getting involved in the city.”

Ricco said he is looking for someone who can “continue the work we have in progress and set other projects in motion.”

Capretta was chairman of the Building and Building Code Committee and was on the finance and economic development committees. Whoever fills the Ward 4 seat will assume those positions, Ricco said.

In the meantime, Ricco is the interim chairman of the Building and Building Code Committee, which is working on a project to establish a system of identifying respon­sible contractors in the city, Ricco said.

“It will be good to have a fresh set of eyes,” he said.

Ricco said Council as a whole is excited to move for­ward with the interview process.

“It will be nice to be a full, seven-chair body again,” he said.

Contact Jennifer Pignolet at (330) 721-4063 or jpignolet@medina-gazette.com.