Then there were seven. At the June 26 King City City Council meeting, all the seats on the dais were filled once again after new councilors who had been appointed to four empty seats at the May 15 meeting took their seats behind new name tags.
Dennis Gelfand has lived in King City since 2011 and is retired after more than 30 years in upper management in the grocery business. He previously served on the King City City Council and Planning Commission and was the chair of the King City 50th anniversary celebration. He also was president of the King City Civic Association Board of Directors and served as its financial chair.
In his application to the council, concerning what specific contribution he would make, Gelfand wrote, “I want to bring peace and help to the council (and) mutual cooperation.” As for topics that concern him, he wrote, “I think the cohesiveness of any organization comes from the desire of the members to find value in others’ perspectives and be a cooperative member to really want to work as a team. I don’t come to this council with an agenda or preconceived notion.”
Smart Ocholi, who was one of the recalled councilors, has lived in King City since 2009 and is a supervisory electrical engineer for USALE. He was appointed to the Planning Commission in 2015 and then served on the City Council from 2015 to 2024.
As for what specific contribution he hoped to make, Ocholi wrote, “Use my experiences serving the city in various roles to contribute to the current and future King City for the amazing plans and development that benefit the residents of King City.”
Regarding what community topics concern him, Ocholi wrote, “King City is a great city with abundant features and amazing potential for much more to be done to the benefit of the residents. My background over the years serving the city serves well to help in contributing to the ongoing and coming… plans for the city and its amazing residents. The safety, security and overall beautiful nature of the city is my goal to help on the efforts.”
Gary Wallesen Jr. is sales manager at Monster Electrical and previously was general manager/brand manager at Athletes Lounge/Velotech/Trisports.com.
He wrote of a specific contribution he hopes to make: “I hope to make a significant contribution by leveraging my skills, experiences, and knowledge to drive positive change and innovation for King City. Through dedication, collaboration, and creative problem-solving, I aim to make a lasting impact that improves lives, and fosters progress.”
As for community topics that concern him, Wallesen wrote: “City Planning. Becoming involved in my local government will give me an opportunity for personal and professional growth, providing me with leadership experience and skills development. I am very interested in an opportunity to actively participate in decision-making processes that shape the future of our city…”
Randall Olsen has lived in King City since 2017 and is retired. He most recently was program manager for Community Action Organization and compliance manager for the weatherization program for Oregon Housing and Community Services.
He was the chief petitioner of the recall effort and also served as treasurer of Edgewater on the Tualatin homeowners association. As to what contributions Olesen would hope to make, he wrote, “I will effectively advocate for my community. By listening to all points of view, I can work effectively within the Council to help build consensus. I’m a hard worker and a fast learner.”
The community topics that concern him include safety, which “should always be a top priority,” Olsen wrote, adding, “Help ensure that the Kingston Terrace is properly developed. King City has stated that there would be no use of eminent domain – using only willing sellers. It is important to restore the community’s faith and trust in their government by King City honoring this commitment. I want to listen to the community to learn more of what their top priorities are.”
The appointment and swearing-in of four councilors was the culmination of a nearly year-long saga that began last fall with a grassroots effort to recall six councilors following their vote in favor of extending Fischer Road into Kingston Terrace despite overwhelming opposition to the plan. Mayor Jaimie Fender and Councilors Kate Mohr, Laurie Petrie and Smart Ocholi were recalled in a February election. Councilors Micah Paulsen and Marc Manelis were also part of the recall effort, but Paulsen resigned effective Dec. 31, 2023, and Manelis was dropped from the recall effort after the recall group said he had demonstrated a desire to listen to community feedback and adjust his decisions to reflect the community will.
