Discovery Bay residents Brian Dawson and Kevin Graves have been appointed by the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors (BOS) to fill the town’s two empty CSD board seats. The unanimous appointment was made this week during the BOS’ regular meeting.

The CSD appointments cap off months of dissention and speculation among CSD board members – President Ray Tetreault, Vice President Mark Simon and Director David Piepho – and the public over the filling of the two seats left vacant in September by the resignations of Shannon Murphy-Teixeira and Dave Dove.

In a special meeting on Sept. 30, Piepho, Simon and Tetreault decided to appoint the new board members, rather than hold a special election. A pool of seven applicants stepped forward, but despite a pair of meetings aimed at filling the seats, the board was unable to unanimously agree on whom to appoint.

CSD law requires three votes to pass a motion, and because there were only three members left on the typically five-member board, decisions were required to be unanimous in order to pass. To break the stalemate, the issue was sent to the BOS.

Now that the full board is finally in place, Tetreault is hopeful that town governance can return to normal. “I’m glad that this process is over and I hope we can do what we are supposed to do, which is work through the town’s business,” he said. “I really hope we can do that and move on from here.”

Dawson is ready to move forward as a member of a cohesive board. “I’m glad the ordeal is over,” said Dawson of the appointment process. “And I can speak only for myself, but I think as a board we need to think outside of the box on certain things, and I look forward to doing that. I will conduct myself in a professional manner, and I will let bygones be bygones, even with those who have opposed me.”

Graves said that while he knows there will be a learning curve for him as a new board member, he looks forward to hitting the ground running: “I am excited about this appointment and I look forward to serving the community. Discovery Bay has an opportunity with this current economy and the lull in the housing market to take a deep breath and take a look at our priorities. It’s a great time to get our ducks in a row and do some good.”

Dawson and Graves will be sworn in at the next regular CSD meeting on Dec. 16, and will serve on the board until Dec. 3, 2010, when the winners of next November’s election will be seated.