Troutdale council interviews dozens of applicants, forwards committee appointment recommendations

Troutdale City Council members spent a multi-hour session interviewing applicants for multiple advisory committees and then agreed on a set of recommendations to forward to council for formal appointment.

Mayor Ritma opened the meeting’s process explanation by saying, “we’re going to ask everybody the same questions, to be fair to all the applicants.” The council heard from people seeking seats on the Budget Committee, Historic Landmarks Commission, Parks Advisory Committee, Public Safety & Equity Advisory Committee (PSAC), Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC), Planning Commission and the Town Center Advisory Board (TCAB).

The interviews were largely structured around a standard set of questions about applicants’ backgrounds, availability for evening meetings and what they would bring to the specific committee. Applicants described volunteer and professional experience as well as neighborhood ties. Donna Landers, who applied to the Historic Landmarks Commission, introduced herself during her interview as “Donna Landers, and I am the current owner of the Troutdale Barber Shop.” Loretta, an applicant to the Town Center Advisory Board, described a long career in school administration and said she moved to Troutdale four years ago and wanted to “do something to participate in this community.” Sandy Glantz, applying to the Budget and Planning bodies, told the council, “I’m very familiar with the process, how things work, how to make compromises to get things done.”

Council members debated how to balance continuity with bringing new people onto committees. In its discussion after interviews, the council sought to preserve institutional knowledge on bodies that will handle major projects (notably TCAB) while also giving newer applicants a path onto panels. Members repeatedly noted the unusually large and well-qualified applicant pool during selection.

After the interviews, council members agreed on a slate of recommendations to forward to the full council for adoption. The meeting chair read the recommended appointments aloud (excerpted): Budget Committee — Heidi Timmerman (position 2), Sandy Glantz (position 3), Kevin Minkoff (position 7); Historic Landmarks Commission — Donna Landers (position 5), Leanne Stephan (position 6), Jim Hill (position 7), with Aaron Baumgartner listed as alternate; Parks Advisory Committee — Frank Stevens (position 1), Shelly Reynolds (position 2), Tristan Jones (position 3), with Sanford Max (alternate); Public Safety & Equity Advisory Committee (PSAC) — Jordan Whitra (position 1), Kelly Wesson (position 2), Rich Allen (position 3), with Frank Stevens (alternate); Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) — Diane White (position 1), Victoria Rizzo (position 6), Shelby Staffinson (position 9), Will Knight (position 10), Rebecca Sanchez (position 11), with Tiffany Long listed as alternate; Planning Commission — Sandy Glantz (position 1), Adrian Kester (position 3), with Frank Stevens as alternate; Town Center Advisory Board (TCAB) — Tiani Staffinson (position 1), Erin Baumgartner (position 2), Jim Hill (position 4), with Loretta listed as alternate. (The council chair said the list would be transmitted as recommendations to the council for a formal appointment resolution.)

On procedure, a councilor noted a statutory point about budget committee alternates: “under the state statute, the budget is not allowed to avoid an alternate until a vacancy occurs,” and the group left the budget committee’s alternate status unchanged. Council members also discussed the regular meeting schedules for the advisory bodies while asking applicants whether they could attend (for example, CAC meets the first Wednesday of each month; Parks Advisory meets the third Wednesday; PSAC meets the first Thursday; Planning meets the second Wednesday and sometimes the fourth).

Councilors and staff emphasized outreach and engagement after the meeting. Several councilors urged that people who applied but were not recommended still be encouraged to attend and participate in public meetings. The council then voted by consensus to adjourn and said the recommended slate would be placed on a future city council agenda for formal adoption.

The council’s recommendations are advisory until the full city council conducts a formal appointment and records any votes; applicants will be notified once the formal action is scheduled.