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Former city staffer Catherine VanDale interviewed for Duluth Planning Commission vacancy
Summary
The personnel committee conducted a public interview with Catherine VanDale, a former Duluth planning staffer and public information officer, for an open seat on the Planning Commission. The committee will consider a resolution to confirm her appointment at the next council meeting.
The Duluth personnel committee on Monday interviewed Catherine VanDale to fill a vacancy on the city’s Planning Commission.
Chair Azreen Al opened the public interview by describing the Planning Commission’s responsibilities, including advising the City Council on rezoning, special permits and acting as the responsible governmental unit for environmental review under Minnesota statutes. VanDale said she would welcome the appointment and described her prior service on the city’s planning team and as a public information officer.
VanDale said she worked on the Imagine Duluth 2035 comprehensive plan while on planning staff and described the plan as a “road map” she wants to see implemented thoughtfully. “It’s a plan that I take a lot of pride in and want to ensure that its goals are implemented thoughtfully in a way that reflects both the values and needs of our residents across the city,” she told the committee.
VanDale outlined relevant experience in public service and nonprofit work, including grant writing as a teen, AmeriCorps service, street outreach in Denver, and roles with city planning and communications. She said she currently works at Minnesota Power and serves as chair of the Duluth Children’s Museum board and on the Downtown Duluth board. She told the committee she had no known conflicts of interest regarding Planning Commission business and said she would recuse herself or remove herself from any conversation if a conflict arose.
Committee members asked how she would balance developer and neighbor perspectives and how she interprets the comprehensive plan’s role. VanDale said commissioners should listen to neighbors’ concerns, ask questions and help facilitate conversations between neighbors and developers, basing decisions on the city’s codes. On the comprehensive plan, she said it should be read for intent and guided by data; she acknowledged that plans are created as a snapshot in time and require periodic updating.
The committee chair said a resolution to confirm VanDale’s appointment is not on the current council cycle and will be brought forward at the next meeting for a vote.
