Committee forwards Valerie Bonham for Commission on Aging; Janine Tasker appointment moved to full council with no recommendation

The Annapolis Housing, Human Welfare Committee on Oct. 20 voted to send a favorable recommendation to the full City Council for Valerie Bonham’s appointment to the Commission on Aging and moved the appointment of Janine Tasker to the Human Relations Commission forward to the full council with no recommendation after members said they could not access Tasker’s resume.

Committee Chair called for the two appointments during the committee’s Oct. 20 meeting. The committee approved a motion for “no recommendation” on AP 56-25 (the Janine Tasker appointment) after members said Tasker was not present and the applicant’s resume was not available through the city’s agenda system. Alderman Shandemeyer said he could not “in good conscience” make a favorable recommendation without seeing the resume, and the committee voted to send the nomination to the full council with no recommendation. The motion for no recommendation was seconded and approved by voice vote.

The committee then considered AP 57-25, the nomination of Valerie (Val) Bonham to the Commission on Aging. Bonham joined the meeting and summarized her background. “I was actually born in Annapolis when the hospital was still downtown in 1969 … my professional background is actually medical ethics and law,” Bonham said, describing a roughly 30-year career in health-care law and ethics and work that included executive leadership on a national bioethics commission. Committee members asked questions about her experience and praised her interest in aging issues. Alderman Huntley moved and a colleague seconded a motion recommending Bonham favorably to the full council; the committee approved the recommendation by voice vote.

Why it matters: The Commission on Aging advises the city on policies and services affecting older residents; adding a member with health-law and bioethics experience could inform the commission’s work on health, caregiving and end-of-life issues. Moving the Tasker nomination without a committee recommendation preserves council review while allowing the council to request applicant materials or ask questions in person.

Details and procedure: Committee members said the missing resume was likely a technical or redaction issue in the city’s Legistar/Gradicus records and asked staff to ensure the document is available to council members before the full council meeting. Chair asked staff to request that the applicant either supply the resume or attend the full council meeting if feasible. Committee members explicitly framed the Tasker vote as procedural — advancing the nomination to full council rather than endorsing it. The Bonham recommendation was explicitly labeled a “favorable recommendation” and will appear on the full council agenda for final confirmation.

Votes at a glance: - AP 56-25 (Janine Tasker, Human Relations Commission): Motion — no recommendation to full council. Mover: Alderman Shandemeyer (recorded in transcript); Second: Alderman Huntley. Outcome: motion passed by voice vote; no members recorded in opposition. - AP 57-25 (Valerie Bonham, Commission on Aging): Motion — favorable recommendation to full council. Mover: Alderman Huntley (recorded in transcript); Second: (recorded as a second by a colleague). Outcome: committee voted aye; no recorded opposition.

What committee members said: Alderman Shandemeyer explained the rationale for withholding a favorable recommendation on AP 56-25: “I don’t feel comfortable making a positive recommendation without at least seeing the resume in front of me,” he said. Bonham, speaking about her interest in the Commission on Aging, said her motivation was “strictly altruistic” and described decades of work at the intersection of health care and law.

What’s next: Both nominations will appear on the City Council agenda. Staff said they will attempt to make Tasker’s resume available to council members before the full council meeting so members can decide whether to pull the nomination for more vetting or confirm it.