By Yolanda Putman Staff Writer
District 9 residents are hosting a second community forum to hear from people interested in representing the district on the City Council.
"If you want to be the representative, come and talk to the community," said James Moreland, 9th District resident and a member of the Avondale Neighborhood Association.
The meeting is 10 a.m. today at the Eastdale Neighborhood Recreation Center.
The 9th District seat will be filled during the county primary elections May 2.
Residents will select one person to support for the council seat, said Isabella Williams Lane, Foxwood Heights Neighborhood Association president.
Representatives from 12 of the 16 neighborhood associations in the 9 th District recommended Floyd Kilpatrick to be appointed to the 9th District seat until the election.
However, City Council members reopened the application process for candidates interested in filling the seat temporarily.
"We wanted to choose from a list of people," Councilman Leamon Pierce said. "They suggested one person, and that is not their job."
James "Jim" Queen, a CARTA manager and Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator; Cora Wofford Lanier, an East Chattanooga resident; and Wanda M. Vogt, a real estate agent and Highland Park resident, also had applied for the interim seat.
Mr. Moreland said several 9th District residents are disappointed the council did not follow their recommendation.
However, some 9th District residents said they are focusing their attention on who they will support in the election.
"In the end, we want to be unified," Ms. Lane said. "We want to come together as a community and select the person best for us."
Eziekel Jones and Eric Colen, two Glenwood residents and former presidents of the Glenwood Neighborhood Association, were interviewed at the first meeting last Saturday.
Quenston Coleman, Maxine Cousin, Deborah Gaines, Mr. Jones and Edward L. Williams Sr. have picked up papers to run in the election.
The City Council seat became available after former Councilman Yusuf Hakeem resigned Jan. 23 to accept an appointment by Gov. Phil Bredesen to the Tennessee Board of Probation and Parole.
E-mail Yolanda Putman at yputman@timesfreepress.com
IF YOU GO
What: 9th District Community Forum
When: 10 a.m. today
Where: Eastdale Recreation Center, 1314 Moss St.
For more information: Call James Moreland at 364-1697
