Slip-up keeps filing period open for health-care district Slip-up keeps filing period open for health-care district (August 11, 2004)

By Renee Batti
Almanac News Editor

An apparent slip-up has unexpectedly given residents of the Sequoia Healthcare District until Wednesday, August 11, to file for election to a two-year term on the public district's board.

The filing period for the two open four-year seats, and one two-year term, was expected by health-care district officials to close on Friday. That's because both incumbents filed for re-election to four-year terms, and it was believed that a recent board appointee had filed for election to the two-year seat -- the seat he was appointed to on August 4.

But the San Mateo County Elections Office said on Monday that the appointee, John Oblak, had filed papers to run for a four-year term instead. In addition to the incumbents and Mr. Oblak, two other candidates will be vying for the four-year terms.

No one has filed for the two-year seat, elections officials said.

Mr. Oblak could not be reached for comment, but Stephani Scott, the Sequoia district's CEO, said on Monday that Mr. Oblak said he was under the impression that he had filed to run for the two-year term.

Mr. Oblak, the president of Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont, was the board's pick to fill a vacant seat and have an incumbent's advantage to keep it come November. His appointment last week was by a 3-1 vote, with maverick board member Jack Hickey opposed.

Elections official Linda Tulett said on Monday that it is too late for Mr. Oblak to withdraw his candidacy for the longer term and resubmit papers for the two-year seat. He also cannot use the extension period to file papers for the shorter term, she said.

It is unknown whether Mr. Oblak will challenge that determination.

If Mr. Oblak, a San Carlos resident, is not allowed to run for the shorter term, his candidacy is likely to cause a bit of nervousness on the part of the board's majority -- whose members want to remain in the majority. That's because he will be in competition for one of two seats now held by incumbents Kathleen Kane, the board's president, and board vice president Malcolm MacNaughton.

What's more, the two challengers running for the four-year terms are hoping to join lone Libertarian Jack Hickey to create a new majority. They are Warren Gibson of Belmont and Sonya Sigler of San Carlos. Both ran for the board in 2002 -- Mr. Gibson ran on a three-person Libertarian slate that included Mr. Hickey.

Ms. Sigler, also a Libertarian, ran independently but has also questioned the need for a public agency providing oversight for Sequoia Hospital.

The five-member board runs the public health-care district -- which comprises Menlo Park, Atherton, Woodside, Portola Valley, Redwood City, San Carlos and Belmont -- and co-owns and helps to oversee Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City.

Since his election to the board two years ago, Mr. Hickey has pushed an agenda that he stated clearly during his campaign: to dissolve the health-care district and let Catholic Healthcare West, which co-owns Sequoia Hospital with the district, take full ownership and governance of the hospital.

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