City Council members reviewed 54 applications for the city vacant manager’s position during an executive session Tuesday evening and reduced the list to five semifinalists.

Interim City Manager Joe B. Montez said this week that the council hopes to have the final five narrowed down to three when they meet on Oct. 23 for interviews.

“One thing that’s obvious,” said City Secretary and Temporary Assistant City Manager Tomas P. Saenz, “there are a lot of people looking for work out there.”

Saenz said the city had received a number of additional applications after the Oct. 6 deadline.

But to be fair to those who got their information to the city on time, the council only reviewed those that were turned in before the deadline.

“Who knows?” Montez said about the intention to interview three finalists by the Oct. 23 session. “We could end up with one finalist but we could have as many as four.”

Montez said all five of the initial finalists have been notified that they will be among the last applicants considered for the position. But he was not sure how many of the five would be available for interviews.

“Everything is up to the City Council,” Montez said.

“So far we’ve met the plan,” Montez said of the timetable for the search. The deadline for reviewing the applications had to be extended from Oct. 9 to Oct. 13 because of the number of responses. But everything else is going according to plan, Montez said.

“More than likely, the council will stick to the plan,” Montez commented.

Council members intend to begin the interviews by 9 a.m. on Oct. 23. But Montez could not say how long that session will last. Council members could remain in session most of the day.

Then on Oct. 26, the council hopes to meet again with the final applicant to discuss a pay and benefits package.

If the council is unable to come to an agreement on that, they are expected to approach another of the finalists.

In other business Tuesday, the council voted to:

— Extend the lease agreement with the Dan A. Hughes Corporation for hangar space at the Beeville Municipal Airport for an additional 15 years.

— Approve a request from St. Philip’s Episcopal School to include school zone times in the 100 block of North Adams Street from 11:30 a.m.-12:20p.m. on school days.

— Accept a recommendation from the Tax Increment Finance District Board to allocate $30,000 for sidewalk reconstruction in the 200 block of West Bowie Street.

— Adopt a TIF board recommendation to increase its allocated funding for the Beeville Main Street Program from $20,000 to $25,000.

— Submit John Salinas as the city’s nominee to the Bee County Appraisal District to serve on its board of directors.