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Monte Sereno council appoints Ken Torren to fill vacant seat
Summary
After interviewing five finalists and hearing public comment, the Monte Sereno City Council appointed Ken Torren to the vacant council seat following a ranked nomination and roll-call votes. The council previously considered and rejected an initial motion to appoint Liz Lawler.
The Monte Sereno City Council appointed Ken Torren to fill a vacant council seat following a special meeting on Sept. 16, 2025. Council members conducted interviews with five finalists, accepted public comment, ranked nominations, and then held roll-call votes on two appointment motions.
Council followed a two-step process: after each candidate answered a standard set of questions, council used ranked-choice to set the order of nominations and then voted on appointment motions. The first motion, to appoint Liz Lawler, failed on roll call; a subsequent motion to appoint Ken Torren passed. Mayor Craig announced, "Congratulations, Ken. Welcome to the city council." The council also thanked the other applicants for a robust field of candidates.
Torren emphasized his readiness for the role, citing experience in emergency preparedness and fiscal oversight during his interview. "I manage a $36,000,000 budget currently," he said, describing his experience supervising large budgets and managing public programs. Council members who supported his appointment highlighted his prior board service and advocacy experience as valuable for representing Monte Sereno on regional issues.
The appointment was finalized after roll-call votes recorded by the clerk. Council members who voted in favor cited Torren’s experience with emergency management and fiscal controls; those who voted against the final motion emphasized a desire for different policy approaches. Torren will be sworn in and serve for the remainder of the vacated term per city procedures.
