The agenda for the next meeting of the Windsor Town Council is quite short, but some of the decisions made will significantly affect the future of Windsor.
Commissioners for a variety of committees will be chosen, and decision will be made to determine what to do about the appointees made by former council member Bruce Okrepkie. Because there are only four council members seated at present, and each council member appoints their own commissioners, they can’t seat new commissioners until the fifth council person is seated, following a special election in May.
The recruitment process for filing expiring commission seats started on Jan. 11. The deadline for submittal of applications was Monday, Jan. 25, by 6 p.m. In addition, letters were sent to commissioners whose terms were expiring to inquire whether they were interested in being reappointed to their respective positions.
According to the board packet, because not enough applications were received to serve on the Senior Citizen Advisory Commission by the original deadline, staff will also be asking for direction to extend the deadline to Thursday, Feb. 18. In addition, the third vacancies for the Planning Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission and Public Art Advisory Commission and one vacancy on the Senior Citizen Advisory Commission will be filled on an interim basis at a later date for the period until the fifth councilmember is seated.
All terms run concurrent to the term of the nominating councilmember.
Parks & Recreation Commission
Three vacancies exist due to the expiration of terms for Commissioners Sean Harrell (appointed by Mayor Dominic Foppoli), Joannie Ransom (appointed by Councilmember Debora Fudge) and Ben Lehr (appointed by former Councilmember Okrepkie). Harrell and Lehr filed an application and are seeking to be reappointed. Ransom informed the town that she would not be seeking reappointment. Applications were also received from Heather Cullen, Angelica Nunez and Tanya Potter for these vacancies.
Planning Commission
Three vacancies exist due to the expiration of terms for Commissioners Clay Fritz (appointed by Foppoli), Paul Berlant (appointed by Fudge) and Scott Huberts (appointed by Okrepkie). Berlant, Fritz and Huberts filed applications and are seeking reappointment. Applications were also received from Stephanie Blair, Michael Freedman, Kevin Gonyo, Ben Lehr, Corbett Smith and Gary Stribling for these vacancies.
Public Art Advisory Commission
Three vacancies exist due to the expiration of terms for Commissioners Alan Ramey (appointed by Foppoli), Linda Challoner (appointed by Fudge) and Gwen Kinney (appointed by Okrepkie). Ramey filed an application and is seeking reappointment. Kinney and Challoner informed the town that they are not seeking reappointment. Applications were also received from Cullen, Gonyo and Lehr.
Senior Citizen Advisory Commission
There is a total of six vacancies. Three vacancies exist due to the expiration of terms for Commissioners David Kahn (appointed by Foppoli), Jenny Helman (appointed by Fudge), and Bill Fallis (appointed by former Okrepkie). Two vacancies were created by the expiration of terms for Michael Bertuccelli (Landmark Neighborhood Representative) and Lisa Renee Trumbly (At-large) who were appointed by simple majority of the council. An additional vacancy was created by the resignation of Marilyn Cook from an at-large position that would have expired December of 2022. One Landmark neighborhood vacancy existed which had not been filled. The term of one of the at-large positions would expire December of 2022 and would be for the remainder of the term of the vacancy created by the resignation of Marilyn Cook.
Kahn and Helman filed applications and are seeking reappointment. Fallis, Bertuccelli and Trumbly did not file applications.
Staff is asking that council direct staff to continue to recruit for the existing four vacancies for at-large positions for terms expiring December 2024 and one at-large position for a term expiring 2022 (the remainder of former Commissioner Cook’s term).
The only other item on the agenda is for the council to provide direction to the mayor to support appointments that will be made by the Sonoma County Mayors’ and Councilmembers’ Association’s City Selection Committee and Board of Directors.
