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West Chester council interviews candidates to fill multiple boards and commissions
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Summary
Council members interviewed more than a dozen candidates on Dec. 16 to fill vacancies on local boards and commissions, including the historic commission, planning commission, public arts commission, community campus and library board; council moved interview outcomes and many appointments to the consent agenda.
Council members on Dec. 16 heard from more than a dozen residents volunteering for boards and commissions as the borough seeks to fill several vacancies.
The meeting opened with a round of interviews. Mary Bayless told the council she has lived in the borough most of her life and has been attending historic commission meetings for about two years; she cited work to recognize churches on the East End and projects tied to the Gay Street School footprint as priorities. “I’ve been attending the meetings for the last two years,” Bayless said, adding she is excited to preserve local history.
Steven Mitton, a retired history teacher and lifelong borough resident, said he serves on the planning commission and the Oakland Cemetery preservation board and would welcome service on the historic commission. “I have 31 years of experience,” Mitton said, noting his interest in local preservation.
Mitchell Patterson, an assistant district attorney for Chester County, described prior involvement with oral-history projects and local historical initiatives and said he applied to the historical commission, library board and arts commission. David Wickard, who is pursuing coursework in historic preservation, also told council he would like to contribute to preservation and architecture-focused projects.
Candidates for other bodies included Sheila Vaccaro (seeking the planning commission after stepping down from council), Patrick Whalen (project designer at John Milner Architects), Samantha Ruffo (arts volunteer at Safe Harbor), Robert Figueroa (interested in parks and recreation), Stephen Larkamp and Vince Range (candidates for the Westchester Community Campus/rail restoration committee), Woody Lathbury and William McCann (community-campus applicants), and Janet Reiner (library board candidate). Reiner said she wants to assist with the library’s capital campaign and “retire the mortgage” on the building.
Council members thanked all applicants and moved the interview outcomes and a slate of appointments and procedural decisions to the consent agenda. At the end of the session, the council reminded residents that vacancies remain on the human relations, tree commission and zoning hearing board and urged the public to apply.
The council concluded interviews and moved remaining volunteer appointments and related items to consent for formal approval at the subsequent meeting.
