Longtime Ridgefield resident Clyde Burkle has been appointed to serve on the Ridgefield City Council, again.
Burkle was appointed to the open Position 2 seat prior to Thursday’s council meeting. The seat was left vacant after Councilor Rachel Coker resigned late last month.
After reviewing applications and selecting finalists, the city council held final interviews with the candidates ahead of Thursday’s regular meeting. Burkle was then sworn in and attended the council meeting.
This isn’t the first time Burkle, who has lived in Ridgefield for 19 years, has been selected to fill an open council seat. In July 2021, a majority of the council chose Burkle to fill one of two vacancies on the council.
Despite submitting an application and sitting through the interview process, Burkle later declined the appointment. Instead, the appointment went to Judy Chipman. Coker was appointed to the Position 2 seat at the same time.
Burkle previously served on the city’s salary commission and budget review board. He has also served on the Civil Service Commission.
According to an announcement posted to the city’s Facebook page Friday, Burkle is a member of the Ridgefield Lions Club and helped found the Ridgefield Food Project (Green Bag Project). He enjoys spending time in downtown Ridgefield and walking the waterfront trail to the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge and back downtown along North Main Avenue, the announcement said.
Before moving to Ridgefield, Burkle spent 42 years in management with the Kmart Corporation.
