New year, new view for City Council

After spending six months in the same seats, it’s about time for City Council to switch things up. In a continued effort for Council members to get to know their dais neighbors, members drew numbers from a bag for new seat assignments at their work session Tuesday. But the name placards will remain in place for now – members won’t change seats until their Feb. 4 meeting, to allow for a move-out period and also so that a contest run by Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo can run its course. Tovo said several meetings ago that she invented a game “as a morale booster” in which her side of the dais guesses what time the Council session will end. (So far, Tovo said, Council Member Leslie Pool has won twice, making her a favorite for the grand prize; Council Member Don Zimmerman has claimed victory once. Tovo awards the prizes, which are often candy bars.) The right side of the room will have one more chance to win Tovo’s contest this week. In February, all members will move around Mayor Steve Adler, who will remain in the middle, between the city attorney and city manager. From left to right, the new order will be: Pool, Zimmerman, Tovo, Renteria, Troxclair, Kitchen, Casar, Garza, Gallo and Houston.