The Fortuna City Council appointed Abe Stevens to the vacant council seat following interviews with five candidates and a public comment period. Council members submitted ranked written choices that were tallied by points; Stevens led the tally with nine points, and the council then voted 4-0 to appoint him. He was sworn in at the meeting.

The appointment fills a seat that will next appear on the ballot in the November 2026 general election and again in 2028, in compliance with state law, the city manager told council members during the meeting. City Manager Amy Nilsen described the process in the staff report: six applicants originally applied, one withdrew, and the remaining five were interviewed in the order their names were drawn from a bowl. Each council member submitted first, second and third choices (three points, two points, one point) and the city clerk tabulated the written results.

Stevens, who identified himself as the owner and distiller at Humboldt Distillery, told the council he is a Fortuna resident and business owner who wants to support local economic development, affordable housing and quality-of-life services. "I want Fortuna to be a spot that [my daughter] will want to move back to after she's had a chance to go out and see the world," Stevens said during his interview.

Other interviewees included Tina Christiansen, who described a long career in real estate and countywide volunteer work; Henry Witherspoon (sometimes transcribed as Wotherspoon), who runs Bridgemore River Ranch and works in timber products; Arlene Spires, who described a background in business and government finance; and Arianne Kiannepi, who did not appear for her scheduled interview. Nilsen said one applicant, Michael Kine, withdrew before interviews began.

Members of the public spoke during the comment period. Doug Scribe and another resident urged the council to appoint Tina Christiansen, praising her long record of community involvement; a Zoom commenter named Jonathan also posted support for Christiansen. One public speaker addressed rumors that staff would resign if Christiansen were appointed and said such rumors should not affect council deliberations.

After the clerk announced the tabulation showing Stevens with nine points, Councilmember Connolly moved to appoint Abe Stevens and Councilmember Diaz seconded the motion. Roll-call votes were recorded as Connolly: Aye; Diaz: Aye; Mayor Pro Tem Trent: Yes; Mayor Johnson: Yes. The oath of office was administered to Stevens and he repeated the standard oath to support the U.S. and California constitutions and to faithfully discharge the duties of the office.

The council completed the appointment process during the same meeting that hosted the candidate interviews and public comment. Council members and staff noted procedural details in the staff report in advance — including the tie-breaking options and the possibility of continuing the appointment process to a later date if the point-tally process failed to produce a top candidate.

Votes at a glance: Abe Stevens — appointed (motion by Councilmember Connolly; second by Councilmember Diaz); roll-call vote 4-0 in favor. Oath administered immediately following the vote.

Less-critical details and next steps: The council manager reiterated that the seat will be decided by voters in November 2026 and again in 2028, per the city’s election schedule mentioned in the staff report. The council adjourned after completing the appointment and formalities.