05/06/2008: "Council Will Advertise For Committee Openings"

The County Council is wrestling with when and how to make appointments to citizens advisory groups and committees. The problem arose when Councilman Rich Peterson asked why an applicant was moving forward to appointment without the Council having advertised there was an opening.

During the discussion the pros and cons of having some citizens sitting on more than one committee was reviewed, and there was some questioning was there a balance on the committees, not only in views, but also in island representation. Some committees require a balance, and some do not.

The question caused the Council to review and discuss past policies, and Peterson suggested that each year when an expiration occurred the council would interview any and all applicants, including someone that has already served and wishes to be reappointed.

Councilman Kevin Ranker agreed that if at the end of a term a person sitting on a committee wished to remain, they would need to apply for the position with anyone else who had shown an interest. Ranker said that “the historical knowledge is really important on these committees; and the last thing we want to do is push away good volunteers in our community,” but added that all applicants should be treated equally in the selection process.

Councilman Alan Lichter said that asking the chair of a committee about the performance of a sitting member was also helpful in making a selection.

County Administrator Pete Rose reminded the Council they had directed staff to draft a policy on how they appoint; but agreed that they will advertise all openings as they come up