The City Council appointed Samuel "Sam" Skoll to fill the council seat vacated by Katie Dunwell, voting 3-1 at the Oct. 20 regular meeting after a weeks-long, advertised application process and interviews.

Mayor Tim O'Neil said the SurveyMonkey rankings and council discussions produced a strong consensus and moved to nominate Skoll; Council President Berry made the motion and the nomination was seconded. After discussion, the council voted to appoint Skoll; the council recorded the motion as passing 3 in favor, 1 opposed.

Skoll has a record of local board service including Development Review Board membership (he served as DRB chair of Panel A), Planning Commission service, and participation on the budget committee. In his remarks to the council he said, "I stand by my qualifications both from an educational perspective, from a professional perspective, and also from a community service perspective," and described volunteer work including Red Cross service and HOA leadership.

Public commenters at the meeting expressed divergent views. Several speakers urged the council to prioritize a candidate who would bridge community divisions and who had a track record of civility; others praised Skoll's local volunteer and emergency-preparedness experience and supported his appointment. Multiple speakers raised concerns about social media conduct and the perception of a conflict of interest because Skoll made a reported campaign contribution to the mayors 2024 campaign. Applicant Rob Candrian publicly asked the mayor and Councilor Shevlin to recuse themselves if they had received campaign contributions from the appointee.

Councilor Cunningham said he had reviewed social media activity and cited instances where Skoll had reacted to posts with a "laugh" emoji in ways Cunningham said felt dismissive of residents' concerns; Cunningham said that pattern and the campaign donation created an appearance issue and he urged Skoll to run for elected office in 2026 rather than accept an appointment. Councilor Shevlin, Council President Berry and Mayor O'Neil spoke in support of Skoll's long volunteer record; Shevlin cautioned all prospective public servants about social media scrutiny.

The council also approved the consent agenda earlier in the meeting by unanimous vote 4-0; consent items included minutes (Sept. 15, Sept. 25 and Oct. 6, 2025), Resolution 3221 (on-call arborist services contracts), Resolution 3222 (first amendment to a development agreement with Venture Properties Inc. regarding funding for the Beckman Creek Trailhead Park), and other routine items.

Ending: Skoll will assume the council seat immediately; councilors encouraged continued public engagement and reminded residents that the council will select a new city manager in the near term, a decision Skoll and the rest of the council will participate in.