Committee on City Services sends six unanimous positive recommendations for appointments to full council

The Northampton City Committee on City Services on April 7 unanimously recommended six applicants for appointment to local boards and commissions and will forward those positive recommendations to the full City Council on April 17.

The committee, chaired by Councilor Stan Moulton, considered nominees for the Whiting Street Fund, Urban Forestry Commission, Human Rights Commission and the Disability Commission. Each nomination was moved, seconded and approved by roll call with all voting members recording “yes.” The committee heard short biographies and statements of interest from or about each candidate before voting.

The committee recommended Edith Ellen and Colleen Weil to the Whiting Street Fund, Sofia Baez and Wyatt Hermanson to the Human Rights Commission, Kent Johnson to the Urban Forestry Commission and Asher Henricks to the Disability Commission. Councilor Rothenberg described Edith Ellen as “a very strong, competent, capable woman” who has nonprofit and prior Department of Correction experience. Councilor LaBarge noted Colleen Weil’s experience managing grant competitions and said Weil told the committee she would focus on food insecurity given recent federal cuts reported to affect food assistance funding.

Kent Johnson, present at the meeting, told the committee he has been attending Urban Forestry Commission meetings and has used satellite data to analyze the city’s tree canopy; Councilor Rothenberg said Johnson has ideas about ordinance changes and invited him to bring proposals to the city’s committee reviewing ordinances this year. Rothenberg also publicized a tree-planting event this weekend at JFK Park; committee members said about 30 trees will be planted and that city trees can sometimes be planted in private yards with maintenance arrangements.

Applicants to the Human Rights Commission and the Disability Commission described the perspectives they would bring. Councilor Dubs said Sofia Baez, a teacher who moved to Northampton recently, wants to continue conversations on Gaza and explore services for people experiencing houselessness; Dubs recommended Baez. On Wyatt Hermanson, Dubs said Hermanson’s campus work on gender-neutral bathrooms and mentoring students informed the recommendation. Councilor Dubs said Asher Henricks, who identifies as trans and disabled and works on accessible learning in higher education, would add lived experience and digital-accessibility skills to the Disability Commission.

Each of the six motions passed by unanimous roll call vote. The clerk confirmed all six positive recommendations will be placed on the full City Council agenda for April 17. The committee adjourned and set its next regular meeting for Monday, May 5.