‘Ready to take on the challenge.’ Turlock City Council appoints a new member
Turlock’s City Council is back to full staffing.
At a special meeting Friday morning, council members appointed Rebecca Arellano to the seat representing District 4. The seat was left open when then-Councilwoman Amy Bublak won the mayoral election in November.
The council decided then to fill the position by appointment rather than special election and accepted applications from residents. Council members interviewed applicants in a special meeting Monday before meeting again on Friday to make the appointment.
District 4 covers northwest Turlock.
The vote to appoint Arellano was 3-1, with Councilman Andrew Nosrati dissenting.
In her application, Arellano said she is a 35-year resident of Turlock. She also said she ran for election to the Madera City Council in 2004, losing by four votes.
Her resume lists her as a partner in Arellano Management Services, a grape and nut brokering firm. Her past jobs included running Arellano Communications Group and working for the Westlands Water District in Fresno, Rep. George Radanovich as a field representative and as a consultant for the Stanislaus County Office of Education. She also served as a field representative for then-Stanislaus County Supervisor Nick Blom.
After taking her oath of office from City Clerk Jennifer Land, Arellano thanked the other people who applied for the position and said she hopes they will stay involved in city government.
“My door is always open,” she said. “I am ready to take on the challenge, so thank you.”
Arellano didn’t get much time to settle in to her new gig: the council immediately adjourned into closed session to discuss a potential lawsuit.
