Preview meeting ranks six applicants and selects two junior councilors

A preview meeting on June 18 ended with participants ranking six applicants and selecting two junior councilors for the coming year.

Why it matters: The junior-counselor program is intended to give younger residents a chance to observe and contribute to local government; who is chosen shapes which voices will participate in council-related activities and outreach over the next year.

Participants spent time describing selection methods used in prior years and then went around the room putting forward ranked choices. Candidates discussed in detail included Ava, James and Deshaun (first-name only in the meeting record). After the ranking exercise participants reported that the group had selected two junior counselors. The meeting record identifies one of the selected applicants as the fifth applicant (Ava) and shows other participants favoring James and Deshaun in various rankings. The discussion repeatedly emphasized that all six applicants were “well qualified” and that some members prefer to avoid choosing rising juniors who can reapply next year.

Discussion items included whether to let members decide immediately after interviews or wait until a later meeting; several participants said they reviewed interview recordings and notes before choosing. The group did not record a formal motion or roll-call vote in the transcript; the appointment resulted from the informal ranking and group confirmation during the meeting.

Next steps: Staff said it would notify the applicants of the outcome and complete any paperwork necessary to formalize the junior-counselor appointments.

Ending: The meeting moved on to review the next agenda items after confirming the selections.