Lower Council Debates Straw Polls and Open Discussion of Board Candidates

VILLAS — In a time when blizzards, the Taliban and economic crisis dominate the headlines, it may seem trivial how Lower Township Council appoints volunteers to the recreation board or municipal utilities authority but it has become the most controversial issue so far in 2010.
In the past, appointments to township boards and commissions were the result of conversations among council members and the mayor on the phone or in the back room.
Mayor Michael Beck has pushed for a process before the public but the other four members of council objected to “grilling” applicants in an open meeting.
The controversy started with the appointment of Kenn Mann to Lower Township Municipal Utilities Authority and continued during appointments to the recreation board. Council members, without Beck, looked at the qualifications of eight applicants and ranked them in a top five listing and emailed the results to Township Clerk Claudia Kammer.
At a Feb. 17 meeting, Councilman Wayne Mazurek said council had no logical procedure for choosing candidates for appointments. He suggested council read the resumes of applicants a week or two before the meeting.
Mazurek said each council member could look at the list of applicants and pick their top three or four candidates ranking them one through three. The top candidate would be given three points, the next two points and the next candidate would receive one point.
The list would go to the Township Clerk. Council would appoint the applicant with the most points, said Mazurek.
“In a way, it may even preclude a little bit of politics being involved,” he said.
Beck asked what would prevent three councilmen deciding to vote as block, “controlling the appointments in the back room.” He said that would negate the ability in an open public meeting to debate the appointees.
Deputy Mayor Kevin Lare said the rankings emailed to the Township Clerk were not binding. Beck questioned the purpose of ranking candidates and emailing choices when council could argue for any possible candidate.
Lare said council made 29 appointments since he and Beck took office with 27 being a unanimous decision. He said with seven applicants for the recreation board, he didn’t see how their credentials could be questioned before the public in a meeting.
“It’s just going to scare people away,” said Lare.
Beck said he wanted “everything in the open.” Douglass said appointments were not in the open until recently.
Beck questioned the benefit of the ranking system if council was still going to discuss the candidates in an open meeting. He said he did not want to participate in the ranking system vote.
Mazurek suggested the ranking process be used but the vote for the applicant is done in public.
Township Solicitor Tony Monzo said the rankings given to the Township Clerk should be summarized at the council table in front of the public before there is a motion to pass a resolution to appoint a person. After the resolution is moved and seconded, council would be free to discuss the potential appointee and if someone else should be considered, he said.
Beck said the in purest method, council should not discuss possible appointees among themselves and the candidates should be discussed in an open meeting.
Monzo will provide a written report of suggestions to council.
During public comment, Lower Township Taxpayers Association President Janet Pitts suggested council find objective criteria for candidates for boards and commissions. She said council could support why they voted for a candidate based on the criteria.