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Members debated the merits of each application review process. President O'Malley reviewed the names and gave brief overviews, per applicant resumes, of each of the 23 candidates that applied for the vacancy. President O'Malley opened the floor for conversation among Councilmembers to express their preference on process. Councilmember Rader indicated that it was his preference that Council interview as many applicants as possible, noting that there were 10 people that he pulled out of the list and had contacted/lobbied him about the position. Councilmember Bullock proposed making a motion to enter executive session to narrow the list of applicants and stated that he also would like to hear from the 5 applicants that were in attendance at the Committee of the Whole meeting at that time. He added he would be equally open to interviewing all candidates in 5- minute intervals. President O'Malley invited the applicants in attendance at the meeting to speak. Mark Schneider, a Ward 4 resident, spoke about his public service experience as an attorney and former state representative, while highlighting his legal pro bono work. Tom Einhouse, a Ward 2 resident, spoke about his business background and experience in the development sector for Playhouse Square and his time serving on the Lakewood School Board. Kyle Baker, a Ward 1 resident, spoke about his experience in the community, his legal background, and experience working for the Metroparks and on the Planning Commission. Emily Christescu, a Ward 4 resident, spoke about her experiences managing large budgets and staff in the private sector, her young family, and her startup small business. Jeff Wise, a Ward 3 resident, spoke about his experiences working in the Ohio Statehouse, his work in housing as a realtor, and his time as a candidate in the last election cycle. After further discussion, it became clear that members were more comfortable discussing the applicants candidly in executive session. Councilmember Bullock made a motion, seconded by President O'Malley, that Council enter into executive session for the purpose of discussing personnel related matters specifically relating to the vacant Council position with the need to identify candidates for interviews, and that conversation include the Council Clerk and Deputy Clerk Discussion on the motion: Councilmember Shachner noted that the city charter gives Council only 60 days to decide on filling the seat, until that power is ceded to the mayor. He expressed his indecision on whether to enter executive session and ran through a hypothetical scenario where the mayor made the appointment instead of Council. He noted that Council is making decisions about applicants that are friends and neighbors, adding that it's one thing to hear something about someone on the campaign trail versus making it a part of the historical record by speaking about such things from the dais. He stated that this process is not a coronation, as the appointee will have to run in the 2021 at-large race. He concluded that while executive session is not done out on the dais, that it would be performed by elected Councilmembers having a very thorough discussion on something that is not forever. 3