GreenTree holds council vacancy interviews; candidates emphasize trust, outreach and Oktoberfest’s role in community life

GreenTree Borough held public interviews to fill a council vacancy, hearing four candidates who emphasized restoring residents’ trust, expanding engagement and preserving community traditions such as the GreenTree Oktoberfest. Council President Shannon opened the session and explained each candidate would have 15 minutes to answer questions prepared by council members.

Diane Cassidy, who identified herself as Diane Oliver in Cassidy and lives on Dale Drive, told council she would weigh community needs and the effectiveness of proposed actions when making long-term decisions. "Communication, listening, learning what others' fears are," she said, are critical for arriving at workable solutions. Cassidy cited prior experience filling a school board vacancy and said workshops and youth involvement were useful tools to increase participation.

Don Fingers of Terrace Drive said repairing a trust deficit among residents must be a priority. "It is trust," he said. Fingers backed regular, informal meetings to address problems before they reach the formal meeting agenda and said pre-meeting workshops could defuse disputes.

Kara Martarello of Parley Drive emphasized data-driven decisions and consultation with those affected. "You want to make sure that you talk to the people the decision is going to directly affect," she said, adding that subject-matter experts and transparent explanations for decisions help sustain public confidence. Martarello supported using multiple outreach channels — including workshops, surveys and events — to reach different demographic groups.

Mark Daffner of Green Ridge Lane framed council work as a collective exercise requiring detailed review of proposals and broad community communication. Daffner said the borough’s newsletter is useful and called for an "open-door policy" and regular town-hall–style sessions. On GreenTree Oktoberfest he said his understanding is that the borough contributes about $10,000 annually and the remainder is covered by vendors and sponsors; he framed the festival as a community showcase but said any expansion would depend on sponsorship and vendor participation.

Across the interviews candidates raised similar themes: the importance of transparency, the value of workshops or town-hall formats to engage residents, opportunities to involve younger residents in problem‑solving, and the potential for community events to support small-business attraction and local revenues. Several candidates recommended pursuing grants and examining creative uses for vacant commercial properties to stem declining commercial tax bases.

Council made no appointment that night; the record shows the choice will be made at the council’s Dec. 1 meeting. The interview sessions were timed at 15 minutes per candidate, with a five-minute warning, and the council briefly recessed to an executive session earlier in the evening to discuss a personnel matter.

What’s next: council members said they will review candidate responses and make the formal appointment at the Dec. 1 council meeting.