Months after the election process began for the Peninsula Community Planning Board, it elected its full board June 9. Newcomers Darrold Davis, Gary Halbert, Suhail “Steve” Khalil and Mark Hoppe replaced incumbents Jarvis Ross, Cynthia Conger, Cleo Pearson and Edwina Goddard.
The board’s March 14 election sparked controversy when it was alleged by Conger that architect Darrold Davis had failed to fulfill a disputed board bylaw by not having attended an official board meeting in the previous six months, as is required for candidates.
Further review of the bylaws unearthed another election provision: each candidate had to be elected by majority vote, not plurality. The City Attorney’s Office stepped in, declaring that a candidate forum Davis had attended satisfied the bylaw requirement. The office also advised the board hold a new election decided by majority.
Board members were concerned the election would drag out for hours before each candidate received the required 51 percent of the vote, but only one round of voting was needed, according to the Peninsula Beacon.
The board’s next regular meeting will be Thursday at 6:30 p.m.