Thornton council delays Parks and Open Space appointment, reopens posting for Ward 1

Thornton City Council postponed an appointment to the Parks and Open Space Advisory Commission Wednesday and agreed to repost the vacancy for one week to solicit Ward 1 applicants.

The decision came after council members completed one interview and noted several scheduled applicants were not available. An applicant who did interview described a background in early childhood education and manufacturing and said she wants to help make parks more “eco friendly and user friendly.”

The applicant, identified in the record only as an applicant for the commission, told council, “I have a huge passion for the great outdoors,” and said she has lived in Thornton since mid‑2020. She described experience with planning and maintenance work at a chemical manufacturing site and said she would prioritize shade and water features to make parks more usable in hot weather. She listed local sites she visits, including Amber Creek, the Carpenter Recreation Center open space and Trailwinds, and said she enjoys the Carpenter Center’s xeriscape garden as inspiration for home gardening.

Councilmembers discussed the distribution of commission seats by ward after staff reported that scheduled interviewees Timothy Lindo and Marsha Hunsicker were unavailable. “We have 0 candidates in Ward 1 right now,” Mayor Jan Coleman said as council considered next steps. Councilmember Justin Martinez asked staff to confirm contact with Ms. Hunsicker; staff replied she had planned to be present but was not available that night.

After discussion, council agreed to reschedule the remaining interviews for the three candidates who were unavailable and to leave the job posting open for an additional week. “So we'll go ahead and post it for another week and reschedule the interviews and hold off on making a decision this evening,” Mayor Coleman said.

Council emphasized the importance of geographic representation on the advisory commission. “I think it's important to have somebody from Ward 1 on this board,” Justin Martinez said, noting Ward 1 contains many parks and open spaces. Roberta Ayala asked staff to reschedule the remaining interviews for Timothy Lindo, Marsha Hunsicker and Albert (last name not provided) and to keep the posting open in order to attract Ward 1 applicants.

The council said it will deliberate after the interviews are rescheduled and notify applicants of the council’s decision at a later date.

The applicant interview and the decision to repost the opening occurred during the council’s special meeting; the council did not take a formal recorded roll‑call vote on the reposting decision and moved forward by consensus to reschedule interviews.

Council staff will handle outreach to the applicants and the reposting process.