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Council amends park-board ordinance to add a second elected official and reduce citizen seats
Summary
The council approved an ordinance changing park-board composition to include two elected officials (the mayor or a designee and another elected official) and reduce citizen members from five to four; council debated whether to make the mayor automatic or allow mayoral designee.
The New Richmond City Council voted to amend the city ordinance that governs the park board’s composition, adding a second elected official while reducing citizen members from five to four.
Under the adopted language the park board will continue to have seven members: one school-district representative, four citizens and two elected officials. Council discussion focused on whether the mayor should be automatically named as one of the elected representatives or whether the mayor should be able to designate an elected official to serve; the final ordinance retains flexibility for the mayor to serve or appoint a designee.
Supporters said the change reflects practice on other boards and ensures continued elected-official representation; councilors asked that staff remind committee members to abstain and leave discussions when a conflict of interest arises (for example when committee members have connections to applicants for loan programs). The council passed the ordinance and suspended the rules to vote that night.
