Several of the city’s newly elected officials were sworn in before Monday night’s city council meeting. Above, Municipal Court Judge Robert Parrott, who performed the swearing-in, congratulates council member Mark Reams, along with law director Tim Aslaner, center, and council member Henk Berbee, left. Reams and Berbee, along with J.R. Rausch were reelected in November to at-large city council seats. Rausch was expected to be sworn in as part of Monday’s ceremony but was unable to attend. (Journal-Tribune photo by Mac Cordell)
A lengthy and contentious executive session spilled into split votes and frustrated comments at Monday night’s city council meeting.
Following the executive session for the purposes of appointing public employees and the sale and public property, Marysville City Council made a series of appointments to community boards and commissions. While there was no open discussion, council also reappointed Chad Wolniewicz and seated Scott Hunter and Leslie Verbus to four-year terms on the city’s Planning Commission. Incumbent Dana Gehman had agreed to continue serving, but was not reappointed.
Wolniewicz and Hunter were unanimously approved. Verbus was selected in a 4-2 vote, with council members Alan Seymour and Aaron Carpenter opposed.
In a 5-1 vote, with Seymour opposed, council appointed Robert Anderton to the Design Review Board. Scot Draughn a long-time member of the board had agreed to continue serving but was not approved.
Following the meeting, Seymour said his vote of dissent was not about opposition to Verbus or Anderton but support for other possible candidates.
He said that as the city grows and the process for selecting board and commission members improves, council will need to choose between several qualified applicants. He said that will likely create more split votes, explaining that when there is only one or even no qualified applicants, there is no decision to be made. Seymour said now council often has the opportunity to choose from multiple qualified applicants.
Human Resources Director Brian Dostanko said the number of qualified applicants has not been an accident. He said earlier this year city officials decided to formalize the process of recruiting applicants and selecting committee members, a task they will continue at council’s February work session. Officials have said there is a goal to have representation from around the city.
“We put in place a process for this and we exercised it to a T,” Dostanko said. “I heard no opposition until last night.”
He said that as part of the process, city staff and administration recommended reappointing Draughn and Gehman to their positions. Dostanko said there should be “no expectation of reappointment” for committee or board members, though he was under the impression from city administration as well as Council President Mark Reams and Vice President J.R. Rausch that he had the “go ahead to ask if they would be willing to serve again.”
Rausch was not present and excused from Monday’s meeting.
Dostanko said Verbus was interviewed for a seat on planning commission but was not the recommendation. He said Anderton had applied for a seat on planning commission, but was not selected for an interview.
Dostanko agreed with Seymour that as the process is improved, the city will receive more and better applications.
“The best problem to have is to have so many qualified people that it is a challenge for the people who have to select a candidate,” Dostanko said.
He said board and commission members earn $50 per meeting, “so they don’t do it for the money.”
“All of these people who apply are doing a fantastic thing for the community,” Dostanko said. “If we can’t get qualified people to do these jobs, the city is at a detriment.”
He said that while the process did not work as expected Monday, that doesn’t mean it didn’t work or that trying to improve the selection process was not a good idea.
“It was the right thing to do and moving forward, we are going to make the process much better,” Dostanko said.
During the comment section at the end of the meeting, Council member Deb Groat addressed a comment made in executive session. She did not go into detail about the comment except to say that it had the feel of pushing older council and community members aside.
She called the comment “ignorance.”
She said age brings with it experience that, when coupled with energy, is invaluable to a community. She said it is “ridiculous” to equate age with a lack of energy.
She said that when she no longer brings energy to her position, the voters of her ward should vote her out of office.
In addition to the others, council unanimously reappointed Eric Moulton and Richard Mickley to five-year terms on the Board of Zoning Appeals; reappointed Brian Ravencraft to a two-year term on the Local Board of Tax Review and reappointed Beau Michael to a two-year term on the Utility Claims Board of Appeal.