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Committee hears five board nominees; full commission to vote Monday
Summary
The legislative committee heard presentations from five nominees — including reappointments to the library and public works/public safety boards and new Downtown Development Authority candidates — and forwarded each appointment to the full city commission for a Monday vote.
The Benton Harbor legislative committee on Friday heard five board appointment presentations and agreed to forward each nomination to the full city commission for a Monday vote.
Commissioner Edward Isom, the committee's nominee for reappointment to the Maime Yarbrough Benton Harbor Public Library board, told the committee he has served on the library board for about 5–10 years and has "helped bridge that gap" between the library and city hall. He said the library has received "$10,000 from the Carnegie funds" and that larger capital work is planned, including a new elevator he estimated "it's in the millions" to replace an aging lift.
James Goff, up for reappointment to the public works and public safety committee, credited departments for road projects and safety improvements around Jane Clark Park and said the committee has also worked to generate revenue through fee changes. Gwen Johnson-Swanigan, presented as a first-time appointee to public safety/public works, said she is a Benton Harbor native and community advocate who has led violence-prevention and neighborhood initiatives and would work "to bridge the gap through honest conversations, mutual respect, and practical solutions."
Desiree Darden, a founder and executive director of the Benton Harbor nonprofit We Bloom and a master's-level behavioral therapist, said she wants the Downtown Development Authority to connect economic development to community well-being. Jessica Hightower, a lifelong resident who said she plans to open a downtown business, said she would bring a small-business perspective to the DDA.
None of the appointments were decided at the committee meeting; the chair said each nomination "goes to the full body" and will be on Monday's commission agenda for a vote.
If approved, the appointees will join boards that oversee library services, parks and safety partnerships, and downtown economic initiatives — bodies commissioners said are important to ongoing capital planning and community engagement.
