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Council appoints three to Tree Commission amid questions about selection process
Summary
After committee debate about selection criteria, the City Council approved three Tree Commission appointees and debated whether chairs should influence selection; council suspended a holding rule to confirm appointments at the July 17 meeting.
The Salem City Council confirmed three appointees to the Tree Commission on July 17 after debate over selection criteria and whether a commission chair should influence appointments.
Councilor Varela described committee discussion over the alternate appointment and said he was ‘‘looking for an appointee that is committed to doing the work and will show up to meetings.’’ Some councilors criticized the committee process as awkward and inconsistent; Councilor Marcello noted the interviews were public and that he had sought a candidate with graphic-design skills to replace a departing member who performed outreach.
The council debated whether the chair’s stated preference for a candidate with graphic-design skills unfairly guided selection. Councilor Varela said chairs should not handpick applicants; other councilors said liaison conversations about commission needs are standard practice.
Because appointments are normally held until the next meeting, Councilor Marcello moved to suspend that rule so the council could vote immediately. After suspending the rule, the council appointed Jacob St. Louis (arborist/landscape architect), David Livingstone (alternate/general public), and Katie Goldfield (reappointment) to the Tree Commission; the motion passed unanimously.
Councilors said the body should review appointment procedures to ensure consistent, fair review of applicants. At least one applicant (Maria Connell) missed the posted deadline, a point cited during discussion.
