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Marysville council appoints two residents to Linda Fire Protection District board amid debate over recruitment timeline
Summary
The council unanimously approved appointments of John Nicoletti and Cody Walker to the Linda Fire Protection District board, effective July 1, 2026, after public concern about the short filing period and staff warnings about LAFCO and election timing.
The Marysville City Council voted unanimously to appoint John Nicoletti to a four-year term and Cody Walker to a two-year term on the Linda Fire Protection District Board of Directors, effective July 1, 2026.
City staff presented the item as part of the annexation process required by a LAFCO order, saying the district needed a five-person board and that the city had posted a 60-day request for interest. Val (staff) told the council the posting produced two letters of interest and recommended appointing the two Marysville residents to fill the vacancies. The staff report listed Chief Kyle Hekstrom as the contact for the process.
Rosemary Dowell, a Marysville resident and public speaker, urged the council to extend the filing period because only two letters were received and the community should have a wider chance to apply before appointments. "My suggestion to the council in light of the very limited number of interest letters received is to extend the filing period for a short additional and reasonable period of time," she said.
Council members weighed that request against timing constraints tied to LAFCO and county elections staff. One council member said the appointments must be forwarded to the county to meet the July 1 effective date and that adding time would likely require a special meeting of the Linda district board. Others said the standard posting (website and newspaper) had been used and that the process should be honored.
After discussion, a council member moved to approve the two recommended appointees; the motion was seconded and the clerk conducted a roll-call vote. Council member Rollins, Council member Hudson, Vice Mayor Buttercupoli and Mayor Branscomb each voted yes, and the motion carried unanimously.
The appointments will be transmitted to the county as part of the annexation process and become effective July 1, 2026, when the reorganization takes effect. City staff said they would work with the Linda board and the county elections office to complete required steps.
The council also identified several process improvements to consider for future recruitments, including broader social-media outreach and status reporting on applicant numbers.
