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Saint Joseph residents decry removal of library-board nominee; council pauses all nominations
Summary
Roughly 50 public commenters pressed the Saint Joseph City Council to reinstate Pastor Brian Kirk to the public library board and warned that blocking his renomination over his support for LGBTQ people would amount to discrimination; the mayor said all board nominations are suspended while the city revises the appointment process.
The Saint Joseph City Council spent its public-comment period fielding nearly 50 speakers Tuesday evening after the mayor announced that nominations to city boards and commissions were suspended while the city rewrites its appointment process.
The comments centered on the halted renomination of Pastor Brian Kirk to the Saint Joseph Public Library board. Supporters described Kirk as a dedicated volunteer and pastor who ‘‘has done exemplary service’’ and should be reappointed; critics said his public advocacy and affiliations raised concerns about library programming and children’s exposure to certain materials.
The mayor told the chamber that, after discussions with several council members, ‘‘all nominations for all boards and commissions have been suspended until a process can be developed that will better ensure selection of qualified objective boards without the…
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