New Castle County subcommittee nominates two advisory-board candidates; debate arises over rule suspension

The New Castle County Boards & Commissions Subcommittee on May 27 nominated Allen McKenzie to the Fire and Ambulance Advisory Board and introduced Anne Chabatini for the New Castle County Library Advisory Board, and discussed seeking a same-day vote on two of the three agenda items because the subcommittee meeting was postponed. The panel approved minutes from its May 15 meeting and adjourned after about ten minutes of business.

The nominations matter because they fill advisory-board seats that advise county officials on fire/EMS operations and library services, and because differences in agenda posting prompted council members to raise state open-meetings compliance concerns. Council members debated whether the subcommittee could suspend rules to allow immediate council votes on two nominations while delaying one nomination that did not meet the seven-day posting requirement.

Dee Durham, chair of the Boards & Commissions Subcommittee, called the meeting to order and ran a roll call of council members present. Durham noted the agenda contained three items: two new appointments and one reappointment. The subcommittee voted to approve the May 15 minutes by voice vote; the motion, a second and a voice “Aye” were recorded but individual yea/nay votes were not named on the record.

Councilman Kevin Koneko presented the nomination of Allen McKenzie to the Fire and Ambulance Advisory Board. Councilman Koneko said McKenzie would…