The Northampton City Council Committee on City Services on Feb. 3 gave a positive recommendation to appoint Randy Sailor to the city’s Transportation and Parking Commission and set a special meeting to interview a Housing Authority candidate.

Councilor Stan Moulton, who presided, announced that the committee voted to recommend Sailor after Councilor Dobbs reported on a neighborhood interview and conversation with the applicant. The recommendation will be forwarded to the full City Council for a final vote on Thursday, Feb. 6. The committee’s roll call on the recommendation recorded three yes votes and one abstention.

The committee’s action came after Councilor Dobbs summarized his interview with Sailor at Catawba Coffee. Dobbs said Sailor, a longtime Northampton resident and former University of Massachusetts telecommunications director, told him he is focused on improving multimodal access, walkability and pedestrian safety. “His motto is, ‘make things better wherever you are,’” Dobbs said, summarizing Sailor’s stated approach to civic work.

In his report Dobbs said Sailor described specific concerns including making Florence Road more walkable, adding crosswalk lighting and prioritizing road designs that consider pedestrians, cyclists and transit riders. Sailor also expressed interest in traffic-calming alternatives to speed humps and in longer-term climate-related changes such as moving to electric school buses, according to Dobbs.

Councilor LaBarge and others noted trade-offs discussed in the interview and in past city conversations: LaBarge recalled residents asking for speed humps on Florence Road but said the devices can cause night noise and are restricted on certain main roads because of emergency and heavy vehicles; she referenced past discussions with Chief Casper and Donna La Scala on that point. The committee recorded no formal amendment to the recommendation.

The committee also set a special meeting for Feb. 18 at 5 p.m. to complete outstanding interviews, including one that would allow Councilor LaBarge to interview Patricia Healy for a vacancy on the Northampton Housing Authority; that interview will allow the committee to forward a recommendation to the full council at its later February meeting.

Procedural business: the committee approved minutes of Dec. 16 and Jan. 6 by roll call vote; both sets passed unanimously.

The committee’s positive recommendation for Randy Sailor does not itself appoint him; the full City Council will consider the nomination at its Feb. 6 meeting, where councilors will cast the final votes.

Votes at a glance: Dec. 16 minutes—motion to approve moved by Councilor LaBarge, seconded by Councilor Dobbs; roll call unanimous (yes). Jan. 6 minutes—motion to approve moved by Councilor LaBarge, seconded by Councilor Dobbs; roll call unanimous (yes). Randy Sailor recommendation—motion to give positive recommendation moved by Councilor Dobbs, seconded by Councilor LaBarge; roll call 3 yes, 1 abstain (positive recommendation forwarded to City Council for final action on Feb. 6).

Upcoming: full City Council consideration of the Sailor nomination on Feb. 6 and the Committee on City Services special meeting on Feb. 18 at 5 p.m. to consider additional appointments.