Minutes Feb 9 09
Record of Citizen Advisory Committee on Appointments
February 9, 2009
Page 1
Meeting of the City of Janesville Citizen Advisory Committee on Appointments held in the
Municipal Building Room 416 on February 9, 2009 at 11AM
Committee Members Present: Shena Kohler, David Riemer, Larry Squire, Mary Willmer-
Sheedy and Ron Combs
Committee Member Absent: Judith Detert-Moriarty
Staff Present: Eric Levitt and Rebecca Smith
Agenda Items
Roll Call
The meeting began at approximately 11:05AM with Kohler, Riemer, Squire, Willmer-Sheedy
and Combs present.
Approval of December 1, 2008 meeting minutes
Riemer motioned approval of the minutes. Willmer-Sheedy seconded the motion and the
vote was 5-0-0 in favor.
Discussion and action regarding committee member re-appointments
The majority of the City’s standing committees allow members to serve more than one term.
Prior to the implementation of the Citizens Advisory Committee on Appointments, committee
members eligible for re-appointment were routinely appointed again if they desired to
continue their service. The majority of members eligible for re-appointment have not
completed an application form because they were appointed prior to the form’s
implementation. Furthermore, these members may not be aware the appointment process
has changed to include an appointment committee. With the recent changes to the
appointment process, staff asked for direction from the Committee whether to publicize
vacancies for committees when all of the vacancies could be held by existing members
eligible for re-appointment.
Following discussion, Willmer-Sheedy motioned for staff to send a letter to committee
members eligible for re-appointment detailing the appointment process changes and invite
them to complete an application form if they desire to continue their service on their
respective committee. If all of the vacancies on a committee may be filled by members
eligible for re-appointment and if all those members are willing to complete an application
form to serve again, publicity efforts to announce vacancies are not needed. If all of the
vacancies on a committee may not be filled by members eligible for re-appointment or if a
member does not wish to serve again or is not willing to complete an application form,
publicity efforts to announce vacancies are needed. Squire seconded the motion and the vote
was 5-0-0 in favor.
The Committee discussed that for the 2009 appointments, if a member eligible for re-
appointment decides not to serve another term and there isn’t enough time to perform
publicity efforts before the March 19 meeting, the Committee is willing to choose nominees
Record of Citizen Advisory Committee on Appointments
February 9, 2009
Page 2
for that committee at a later date. For future years, the Committee asked staff to ask
members eligible for re-appointment if they wish to serve another term early enough in the
year to have all yearly nominations take place at one meeting.
The Committee asked staff to investigate three questions:
?
May a felon serve on a city committee?
?
May staff complete a background check on volunteers interested in serving on a
committee?
?
May the application form ask volunteers to declare whether they are a felon?
The Committee asked staff to send a letter to the chairs of each committee where there are
vacancies informing them of the new appointment process and asking them to respond via
letter or through conversation with staff if they have any concerns with members eligible for
re-appointment or any attributes they would like to see represented in future committee
members. The committee will then review these comments as part of their process when
choosing volunteers for nomination.
Discussion and action regarding committee member alternates
Four of Janesville’s committees have alternate members. The purpose of an alternate is to
attend meetings and vote when a voting member is absent or has recused him or herself
from a subject. Prior to the implementation of the Citizens Advisory Committee on
Appointments, alternate members were routinely appointed to voting member positions as
vacancies arose. With the recent changes to the appointment process, staff asked for
direction from the Committee whether to notify alternate members of voting member
vacancies.
Following discussion, Willmer-Sheedy motioned for staff to send a letter to alternate
members detailing the appointment process changes and inviting him or her to complete an
application form if he or she desired to be considered for a voting member position only when
a vacancy can’t be filled by an existing voting member. Squire seconded the motion and the
vote was 5-0-0 in favor.
Date for Next Meeting
The next meeting will take place on March 19 at 1:30PM in the First Floor Conference Room
(first floor of Municipal Building). Please note the room location change. You may enter
through the Jackson Street entrance or through the Wall Street entrance.
Matters Not on the Agenda
None.
The meeting was adjourned at approximately 12:05PM.
These minutes are not official until approved by the Citizen Advisory Committee on
Appointments.
Rebecca Smith, Management Assistant
Approved 3-19-09