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Council debates role in interviewing commission applicants, agrees to increased involvement
Summary
Council members debated whether councilors should participate in interviews for commission appointments and whether to receive applications in advance; members agreed to try having one or two council members sit in on interviews and to provide applications a week before a vote.
During consideration of the consent agenda the St. Francis City Council pulled item G to discuss how appointments to city commissions are handled. Several council members said they would like more involvement in vetting candidates, including receiving application materials in advance and having one or two council members attend interviews.
Council members noted that commissioners' recommendations become the council's responsibility, so vetting matters. Joe recommended that two council members attend interviews and suggested formalizing a practice or policy that might designate the planning commission liaison and the mayor as regular participants but allow alternates when schedules conflict. Several council members said they could take turns attending interviews so that participation does not fall on the same people repeatedly. Some members asked that applications be provided to council at least a week before any vote.
The council approved the consent agenda with direction to staff on item G and signaled a preference for increased council involvement in future interview and appointment processes; the meeting record does not show adoption of a formal written policy at this session.
