Council appoints Joe Longoria and Esther Diopoli to drainage, flood mitigation and subsidence committee

The Stafford City Council voted 4-2 to appoint Joe Longoria and Esther Diopoli to the city's drainage, flood mitigation and subsidence committee on April 2.

Councilmembers noted the city had introduced a standardized application and resume process to make committee appointments more transparent. Joe Longoria spoke in favor of additional applicant support and interview options for community members who lack resume-writing experience; he remarked on neighborhood drainage concerns on Linda and Roseanne streets and Vaquero Manor.

Council discussion focused on geographic representation: Longoria would represent the Northeast quadrant and Diopoli the Central East District, according to materials distributed by the city secretary. Some councilmembers argued the council should wait to fill positions until a larger applicant pool was available; others said the two applicants followed the published deadline and should not be penalized.

A motion to appoint Longoria and Diopoli was made, seconded and resulted in a recorded 4-2 vote in favor. Councilmembers also discussed next steps including outreach to solicit further candidates and clarifying committee leadership (chair/vice chair) once a quorum is reached.

The council indicated it would provide appointment letters and a copy of the council resolution to the appointees.