Council lifts veil on selection process

Congratulations are in order for Boulder City’s newest council member, Judith Hoskins, as well as to existing members of the City Council for how they selected her.

Transparency and openness ruled at Monday’s special meeting.

Community residents had ample opportunity to learn about those seeking to complete the term of the late Councilman Warren Harhay.

Not only were applications, resumes and letters of recommendation included in the agenda packet, which was available online before the meeting, anyone who wanted to speak was given five minutes of time during the public comment session that kicked off the meeting. And any electronic correspondence that came in late was printed and made available to the public at the meeting.

Then, after residents and individuals interested in the council seat spent 30 minutes touting the qualifications of the 10 people who sought to serve, the four sitting council members also expressed why they made the nominations they did.

Even after the vote was split between the two nominees for the spot, Hoskins and Judy Dechaine, efforts were made to show that the selection process was as fair.

The names of both nominees were clearly shown to those in the council chambers before the slips of paper were placed in a vase for one to be chosen. Once Mayor Kiernan McManus selected one of the pieces of paper, he made sure that everyone could see whose name appeared.

It was a vast improvement from the process in July when Councilwoman Tracy Folda was selected.

Now that the council is complete again, it’s time for it to get on with business and making good decisions to benefit the community.

There are some concerns that all five of the council members were affiliated with and endorsed by Boulder City Community Alliance, a private Facebook group of people who aim to “advance the public welfare by ensuring that Boulder City is maintained as a healthy, spacious, clean, well balanced, carefully-controlled community primarily by preserving its small-town historic atmosphere and character and avoidance of uncontrolled and rapid growth.”

While we think it’s great that residents are taking an interest in their community — and doing something about it — the group represents about only 10 percent of the population. We hope that council members will consider the other 90 percent of the residents when making decisions for the city’s future.

It was how Councilman Harhay, who also had been endorsed by the alliance, governed. Hopefully, his thoughtful approach to every issue will provide guidance for their actions.

Hali Bernstein Saylor is editor of the Boulder City Review. She can be reached at hsaylor@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9523. Follow @HalisComment on Twitter.