Maplewood council to recommend two applicants for Sustainability Commission

Mayor Greenberg and members of the Maplewood City Council on Dec. 9 agreed to recommend two applicants to fill vacancies on the city’s Sustainability Commission, with staff directed to prepare resolutions for the council’s Jan. 13 meeting.

The recommendation follows staff’s report that the city has two open seats — one designated for a resident and one for a business representative — and that two previously considered applicants, Clayton Merritt and Daniel Sparks, wished to be reconsidered alongside a new applicant, Casey Kelly. The council’s preliminary preference, expressed during the work session, was for Clayton Merritt to take a resident seat and Casey Kelly to serve in the business seat.

“The applicants we had were Clayton Merritt and Daniel Sparks, who wished to be considered, and we had one new applicant, Casey Kelly,” the clerk said during the meeting.

A staff speaker noted details about Casey Kelly’s background, saying, “they are self-employed interior design … from CK Draft Design” and that Kelly is LEED-accredited. Mayor Greenberg disclosed a personal connection to Merritt, noting Merritt bought the mayor’s house and raising the possibility of a recusal, but the mayor and colleagues signaled that the relationship would not prevent a recommendation.

Council members said Merritt’s experience aligned closely with the commission’s work and that Kelly’s professional credentials were relevant to the business-designated seat. One council member added that Merritt had listed the Sustainability Commission as his first preference on the application.

Council direction: staff will prepare formal appointment resolutions and place them on the Jan. 13 council agenda for vote. No formal vote or appointment occurred at the Dec. 9 work session; the meeting recorded consensus to move forward with the recommendations.

The council will review the resolutions and vote in its regular meeting in January.