Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/344348
city elections in the spring of 2015. The elec- tion will be in March, with any runoff to be held in May. The DID board voted to support Paul "Mr. Downtown" Thorpe, a tireless volunteer for decades, and former City Commissioner Ken Shelin. Both men were in the audience, and both spoke to the DID board members. "This is awkward. It wasn't planned," said Shelin. "For a period of five months, or whatever it turns out to be, it would be a comfortable thing for me to do. If the commission said, 'Yes' to me, I would happily serve." Thorpe told the DID board, "Sure, I'd be inter- ested in doing that. I have attended every City Commission meeting for the past 30 years. My heart is with the city, and I've shown that by the things I've done in this community. I would not run for election." DID board member Dr. Mark Kauffman then made a motion to send a letter to the Sarasota City Commission "expressing interest in one of these two men in [the commissioners'] decision." The motion passed unanimously. DID Chairman Ernie Ritz cautioned, "We have to realize we don't have any sway in this decision." Unfortunately, both Thorpe and Shelin live in District 2, which encompasses the down- town, waterfront and islands. Thus, only one of the two men could serve if selected. At that point in the meeting, City Commissioner Susan Chapman asked to brief the DID on the procedure to be used in picking the two interim commissioners. She said that on Sept. 2, the commission will open a two-week period for taking applications for the seats. One part of the process involves filling out the simple application form used for suppli- cants to an advisory board. A second form is more rigorous. It is used to screen supplicants for a gubernatorial appointment. "That is very extensive," said Chapman. "We don't want everybody on a lark to apply." The Downtown Improvement District is a special taxing area of the City of Sarasota. Photo by Norman Schimmel Sarasota News Leader July 11, 2014 Page 24