“Cowboy Capital of the World”
CITY OF OAKDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA
City Council Chambers
277 North Second Avenue • Oakdale • CA 95361
Wednesday, November 12, 2025 5:00 PM City Council Chambers Welcome to your City of Oakdale City Council Special Meeting Mayor Cherilyn Bairos
Council Member Kayleigh Gilbert Council Member Jarod Pitassi Council Member Jeff Kettering Vacant Seat
The meeting will be televised on Comcast Channel 7 and available for public viewing on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@CityofOakdaleca
1. Call to Order – 5:00 p.m.
2. City Council Members Present/Absent
3. Pledge of Allegiance
4. Public Comment
This is a Special City Council meeting. Pursuant to California Government Code Section 54954.3(a), members of the public wishing to address the Council may do so, and such comments shall be limited to the Special Meeting topic(s). All members of the public will be given 3 minutes for their public comments. Individuals may not defer their time to another person. A maximum of 30 minutes will be allotted for public comment. California law prohibits the City Council from taking action on any item not appearing on the posted agenda except that Council may refer the matter to staff for follow-up or request it be placed on a future agenda.
5. Applicant Interviews Order by Randow Draw
6. City Council Items
6.1 City Council Applicant Interviews and Consider a Resolution Appointing a Candidate to Fill the Vacant City Council Seat Vacated by Council Member Christopher Smith to Serve the Remainder of the Term through Date of Certificate of the November 2026 Election.
7. Oath of Office
The Oath of Office will be administered by Deputy City Clerk Andersen to the individual appointed by the City Council.
8. New City Council Roll Call
9. Adjournment
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact City Hall, 209-845-3571. Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting. (28CFR 35.102-35.104 ADA Title II).
Any documents produced by the City and distributed to a majority of the City Council regarding any item on this agenda will be made available in the City Clerk’s office at City Hall located at 280 North Third Avenue, Oakdale, California.
Declaration of Posting
I, Colleen Andersen, Council Services and Legislative Records Manager/Deputy City Clerk for the City of Oakdale, certify that I caused to be posted a copy of the City of Oakdale City Council Agenda for the Special Meeting of Wednesday, November 12, 2025 at the City Council Chambers, 277 North Second Avenue, Oakdale, CA, 95361 on November 7, 2025.
Dated: November 7, 2025 /s/ Colleen Andersen
Colleen Andersen, Deputy City Clerk
Council Services and Legislative Records Manager
CITY OF OAKDALE
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Date: Wednesday, November 12, 2025
To: Mayor Bairos and Members of the City Council
From: Jerry Ramar, City Manager
Subject: Conduct City Council Applicant Interviews and Consider a Resolution Appointing a Candidate to Fill the Vacant City Council Seat for the Remainder of the Term Through the Date of Certification of the November 2026 General Municipal Election
BACKGROUND
On September 18, 2025, former City Council Member, Christopher Smith submitted his resignation from the City Council.
At the October 6, 2025 City Council meeting, Council directed staff to solicit applications from interested citizens to fill the vacancy on the City Council. Staff conducted a recruitment by posting an application packet on the City’s website and Facebook page and published a Notice of Intention to fill a vacancy for member of the City Council by appointment in the Oakdale Leader.
As of 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 23, 2025, the City Clerk’s office received a total of eight applications from Oakdale registered voters for Council’s consideration. One applicant withdrew their application leaving a total of seven applicants. The applicants are listed below in alphabetical order by last name and each application is attached:
1) Ranjit Basi Jr.; 2) Mary Buchanan; 3) John Clark; 4) Ashley Hankins; 5) Elizabeth Moyle; 6) Richard Murdoch; 7) Paola Verduzco.
DISCUSSION
Following candidate interviews and City Council discussion, the Council may vote to select a Council Member. If an applicant receives the majority vote of the Council, then they will be appointed to serve the remainder of the term of the vacant seat through the November 2026 election certification. If no applicant receives the majority vote a decision to fill the vacancy by appointment must be made by November 16, 2025, otherwise, the vacancy will be required to be filled by a special election.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is minimal fiscal impact if the Council makes an appointment, less than $2,000, which includes the cost of advertising the public notices in the Oakdale Leader. The cost for a special election is estimated to be $27,000 to $104,000, depending on the date of the special election. Staff requested a cost estimate for a special election from the Stanislaus County Registrar of Voters.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Review the applications
CITY OF OAKDALE
City Council Staff Report (Continued)
SUBJECT:City Council Applicant Interviews and Consider a Resolution Appointing a Candidate to Fill the Vacant City Council Seat MEETING DATE: November 12, 2025
2. Allow each applicant three minutes to briefly present their qualifications and why they would be the best candidate to fill the vacant Council seat.
3. Ask questions of the candidates.
4. Make appointment to fill the vacant City Council seat for the remainder of the term through the date of certification of the November 2026 General Municipal Election and have the City Clerk swear in the new City Council Member.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: City Council Candidate Applications
Attachment B: Draft City Council Resolution 2025-XXX
IN THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF OAKDALE
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 2025-___
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF OAKDALE CITY COUNCIL APPOINTING A
CANDIDATE TO FILL THE VACANT CITY COUNCIL SEAT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE TERM THROUGH THE DATE OF CERTIFICATION OF THE NOVEMBER 2026
ELECTION
WHEREAS, effective September 18, 2025, Council Member Christopher Smith submitted his resignation from the City Council; and,
WHEREAS, on October 6, 2025, the City Council directed staff to solicit applications from interested citizens to fill the vacant City Council seat; and, WHEREAS, a total of seven applications from Oakdale registered voters were received for Councils consideration, all applicants were verified as registered voters within the City limits of Oakdale by the Stanislaus County Registrar of Voters; and WHEREAS, the City Council agreed to hold a special meeting on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. for the purpose of interviewing the applicants for the City Council vacancy.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of Oakdale does hereby make the following appointment to fill the vacancy on the City Council for the term through the date of certification of the November 2026 Election:
NAME:_____________________________
THE FOREGOING RESOLUTION IS HEREBY ADOPTED THIS 12th DAY OF NOVEMBER, 2025, by the following vote:
AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS:
NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS:
ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS:
ABSTAINED: COUNCIL MEMBERS:
SIGNED:
Cherilyn Bairos, Mayor
ATTEST:
Patrick Mondragon, City Clerk