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Lake Forest Park tree board seeks full inclusion for incoming appointees as council readies confirmations
Summary
The Lake Forest Park Tree Board urged the City Council to treat two incoming appointees as full members rather than alternates and discussed process transparency for future appointments. Staff said the mayor makes appointments and the council confirms them; staff will ask the council to amend the motion if the board desires.
The Lake Forest Park Tree Board discussed three pending appointments and recommended that newly named participants be treated as full members, not second-class alternates, before the City Council considers confirmations.
Mark Hoffman, the city’s community development director, told the board the municipal rules set a minimum of seven members and allow up to two nonresidents. He said staff had interviewed three candidates and forwarded a recommendation to the mayor that all three be appointed. “We brought forward all three applicants,” Hoffman said, describing the process as both “formal and informal, small town.”
Kyle Gotti introduced himself to the group as a recommended appointee and said he expects confirmation following the council’s meeting process. Council liaison Larry Goldman said the council would consider the appointments at its session and that the “intent” behind adding alternates was to create a bench of people who were familiar with boards’ work.
Several board members said they preferred that the council count both appointees as full members for practical purposes. One member asked Goldman to propose an amendment at the council meeting to treat Minda Martin and Ross Larson as full members rather than alternates. Larry Goldman said he could bring the suggestion to leadership and, if appropriate, amend the council motion.
The board asked staff to circulate the volunteer/commissioner handbook and candidate materials to clarify expectations for applicants and to encourage prospective members to attend a meeting before confirmation. Sam Call, the city’s urban forest planner, said staff would circulate materials and verify timing for council submissions.
The board approved its agenda at the start of the meeting and agreed to follow up at its February session after council action. The next formal step is the council confirmation process scheduled for the council meeting referenced during the board’s discussion.
