CLEANING HOUSE… Looks like the Pacific Grove City Council will sport several new faces next year. Two of the three incumbents whose terms are expiring– Susan Nilmeier and Daniel Davis– say they will not run for re-election in November. The third incumbent, Scott Miller, says he hasn’t decided yet. Last week, we reported that former councilwoman Susan Goldbeck will bid for a fresh stint on the council. Two other P.G. gadflies, Carmelita Garcia and Bill Kampe, also plan to vie for the seats. The candidate-filing period runs from July 14 to August 8. [KA]

MARKETPLACE OF IDEAS… In November we detailed how stoked the Salinas City Council was over Alisal Marketplace, a 52-acre redevelopment project just east of Oldtown. The project is moving forward. On June 17 the City Council approved a negotiating agreement that envisions completing the development’s zoning changes and environmental impact report in 18 months. Now comes the sticky part: Developer Sean Cooley has to buy some 41 parcels and relocate several major industrial operations to pull off this ambitious reuse plan. [ZS]

DEMOCRACY NOW… No word on whether residents of Carmel Valley will get to vote on whether they want to incorporate– yet. In May, Carmel Valley Forum (a citizens’ group pushing to get the issue on the ballot) won a legal battle when a judge ruled that the Local Agency Formation Commission wrongly stalled the incorporation process. LAFCO discussed the Carmel Valley Forum lawsuit in closed session on June 23, and continued the item to a special meeting on July 3. “The commission’s actions are still open,” says LAFCO Executive Officer Kate McKenna. “It could include a potential settlement agreement with some actions to implement that agreement, or they could pursue an appeal of the court decision. All the options are still under deliberation.” The meeting will happen at 3pm, Thursday, July 3, in the Supervisors’ Chambers, 168 W. Alisal, St., Salinas. 754-5838. [JL]

NEW BOSS… The Salinas City Council Tuesday, June 24 appointed Artie Fields as the new city manager. Fields, 45, was assistant city manager for West Covina before accepting Salinas’ top post, for which he will earn $205,000 a year. Fields replaces Dave Mora, who led the city since 1990. Fields’ first day is July 21. [ZS]