The Cypress City Council narrowed a pool of 16 applicants for the District 5 vacancy to seven candidates to be interviewed at a specially noticed meeting. Council members each named two or three preferences and the clerk tallied the results; the mayor moved to interview the seven candidates and the motion passed unanimously.

Council discussed methods to screen applicants (private ballot not allowed under the Brown Act; the clerk must announce votes) and considered alternatives such as interviewing all applicants versus a narrowed field. Staff will randomize the order of interviews and schedule the session for a later special meeting.

Council also approved suggested interview questions and debated whether to ask each applicant if they intend to run for the full term. The council kept that question after members argued it is relevant to distinguish short-term appointees from long-term candidates.

Next steps: the special meeting to conduct interviews was noticed for November 19 at 6:00 p.m.; staff will provide a randomized interview schedule and the council will conduct interviews according to the agreed questions.