District 1 Council member Sherri Lightner’s office will bid farewell to its interim chief of staff, John Rivera, who arrived in District 1 on Feb. 23 to temporarily help the office function. No one will replace Rivera.  “We won’t have a chief of staff,” Lightner said. “We started out without one, and I personally believe that we’re a flat organization. It’s a team effort.” Lightner said the timing of Rivera’s departure was “mutually agreed upon.” Rivera is also a professor at City College. “[John’s] experience, knowledge and insights have enabled us to get up to speed efficiently, and I am grateful for the help he has provided in serving the communities of District 1,” Lightner said. Lightner’s office now consists of an office manager and five council representatives, which is a skeleton crew compared to other district offices that, for the most part, employ eight staff employees. For example, District 2 Councilman Kevin Faulconer employs a chief of staff, a communications director, a policy advisor, an office manager and four council representatives. Information: (619) 920-4146.