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Council tables Planning & Zoning appointment after legal question over nominee presence
Summary
Council moved to table a Planning & Zoning appointment after legal counsel said an ordinance requires nominees to be present in person before selection; the council voted 3–2 to send the matter back to Planning & Zoning so all candidates can appear in person.
The City Council tabled the Planning & Zoning appointment on Jan. 5 after a legal opinion that a recently adopted ordinance requires any person selected for a council-appointed board to be present in person at the time of selection.
Mister Harris presented Planning & Zoning’s recommendation of Melanie Oldham to fill a vacancy. Oldham and another applicant, Patty Richardson, spoke to the council about their qualifications. During discussion, a councilmember asked whether the ordinance that was recently passed applies to board selections; city legal counsel confirmed it applies to council and council-appointed boards and that "no person may be selected or appointment voted on unless the person is present in person."
Councilman Matamortis withdrew his prior motion and moved to table the appointment and send it back to Planning & Zoning so the board can vote with all candidates present. After debate about fairness to applicants who attended and concerns about setting precedents, the motion to table passed 3–2.
Next steps: The appointment will return to Planning & Zoning so the selection can follow the ordinance or be re-presented with candidates present; the council requested clear communication to applicants about attendance requirements.
