Tie Votes Creating Hurdles for Filling Key Volunteer Boards
Bob Volpe
With the sudden unfortunate passing of Woodland Park Mayor Val Carr, the city council is now, once again, limited to a six-person panel.
This has led to a 3-3 vote on many applications to various WP committees and boards, with little prospects for a consensus.
For two consecutive council meetings, applications to the planning commission have gone unfilled due to split tallies.
Peter Scanlon, whose tenure on the planning commission recently expired, applied to be reappointed. Bob Carlson, who has been involved in community affairs for years and previously served on the city council, also applied.
Neither of the candidates could get the majority needed to snag a spot on the planning commission, a verdict that has stunned some civic leaders.
Unfortunately, there is only one opening on the planning commission. Despite the excellent resumes of both candidates, council was again split on who to appoint. Mayor Pro Tem LaBarre, Councilman Rusty Neal, and Councilwoman Kellie Case voted in favor of Scanlon for his reappointment, and Councilman Jim Pfaff, Robert Zuluaga, and Councilwoman Stephanie Alfieri vetoed his application. The vote was just the opposite on Carlson. With LaBarre, Case, and Neal voting no and Zuluaga, Pfaff, and Alfieri voted yes on Carlson.
As a result of council’s inability to approve either Scanlon or Carlson, both men withdrew their names from consideration in protest.
No action was taken on appointments for several other key boards. And in the selection of Larry Black for the Historical Committee, Black, a former teacher and local history expert involved in many projects that heavily promote the area’s illustrious past, only got approved by a 4-2 vote.
This split vote conundrum is keeping several committees from seating a full board or committee. Recently a press release from City Clerk Suzanne Leclercq was sent out with a list of committees and boards with openings. The list includes: planning commission, board of adjustment, board of review, historical preservation committee, keep Woodland Park beautiful, and the utilities advisory board.
Leclercq requests that anyone interested in applying for any of these openings, can contact the City Clerk Suzanne Leclercq at SLeclercq@city-woodlandpark.
Until a decision occurs on how to fill the mayor slot, and a seventh council member is seated, it appears the current council will continue to grapple with split votes. This could make it impossible to fill important volunteer committees and make key decisions.
