Ivette Ricco Takes Out Nomination Papers for City Council Election

Ivette Ricco on Wednesday took out nomination papers that are necessary to run for a seat on the Pinole City Council in the Nov. 6 election. Ricco recently stepped down from her position as president of the Chamber of Commerce.

She has been an active advocate of saving the from threatened closure due to budget cuts imposed by the council. She joined a committee to save the swimming pool pool when it was organized last fall.

She also was a leader in organizing the 2011 effort to remove a fence and make improvements to a vacant, city-owned lot at the corner of San Pablo and Tennent avenues. She dubbed the location "Community Corner" and is working with the Pinole Artisans and Pinole Chamber of Commerce to place a commemorative sign at the site. That is expected to be installed next month.

Ricco encouraged the artisans group to display art work and lights in the windows of the vacant Bank of Piinole buidling on San Pablo Avenue and was among a team of volunteers who initiated a makeover of the Bear Claw Bakery.

Ricco ran unsuccessfully in a 2008 election to replace three recalled city council members.

She is the first potential candidate to request nomination papers. Two of the council's five seats, occupied by Pete Murray and Roy Swearingen, expire this year. Neither incumbent has yet to request nomination papers from the city clerk's office.

The council incumbents face an Aug. 10 deadline to file for re-election. If either one of them choose not to file for another four-year term, the filing period for non-incumbent other candidates would be extended to Aug. 15.

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