I’m going to update this post a little later today or perhaps tomorrow with some more detail, but for the moment I want to share with you the results of the City Council’s special meeting last night to fill some openings on Boards and Commissions. I’ll spare you my usual rhetoric about the dysfunctional status of our boards and commissions, and just give you the names since the Republic probably won’t cover the appointments even at this level of detail.
I will, however, point out that you can view on the city’s website my ‘public comment‘ at this interview/appointment, as well as videos of all the interviews.
The regular meeting video is now posted, too. I made additional ‘public comment’ during that meeting at about
- 00:20:30 (regarding the “public comment” process),
- 00:28:00 (Scottsdale Quarter “perimeter exception,” and monthly financial report),
- 01:11:00 (bond task force),
- 03:00:30 (key budget issues), and
- 03:22:30 (federal lobbying services contract extension).
First, the seat vacated by my firing from the Airport Advisory Commission will be filled by Bob Hobbi. Bob has been around aviation a long time and I think he’ll be a good addition to the commission.
Tim Sutton gets the open seat on the Board of Appeals. Tim spoke eloquently on the role and function of the BoA, and how they have a very clearly defined set of responsibilities. Maybe he’ll apply for Planning Commission at some point!
Thomas Dwyer fills the opening on the Environmental Quality Advisory Board. He the only applicant, but sounds like he’ll do fine.
Historic Preservation will have open seats filled by a very youthful Cody Wilson and by Mark Hackbarth. It’s too bad there wasn’t another opening because Dr. John Bamberl made some really good comments in his interview. I hope we’ll see more of him.
Louise Nemanich is the appointee for the Library Board’s open seat. However, I really appreciated the comments of fellow nominees Barbara Coulter and John Wanat, too.
McDowell Sonoran Preserve Commission gains a couple of familiar faces. Scottsdale Poet Laureate and longtime Preserve advocate Bob Frost was appointed, along with Con Englehorn…who I think is a past chair of the commission. Ken Lew made good comments and I hope he’ll be able to get involved in the future in this or some other board or commission.
Parks and Recreation Commission nominees got whittled down by withdrawals and some being appointed to other boards or commissions, so that John Koczka was the last man standing and got the nod.
David Scholefield was appointed to the Tourism Development Commission. Again, fellow nominees Celia Cohen and Robert McCreary made some good comments during their interviews.
You can find out more about these and all the city’s Boards and Commissions on my post about reforming them.