December 21, 2006

By Diane Chiddister

At their Dec. 18 meeting, members of Yellow Springs Village Council announced the names of community members who have applied for the vacant Council seat and debated how best to fill that seat. Council member Judith Hempfling pushed for a more open process; however, the other three Council members did not agree with Hempfling that the process they had previously chosen needed to be changed.

Chad Runyon, Jerry Sutton and Kathryn Van der Heiden have submitted applications stating their interest in the vacancy, according to acting Council President Karen Wintrow. The seat was vacated in early December when former Council President Jocelyn Hardman resigned, citing increased work and school responsibilities. According to the Village Charter, Council needs to fill the vacancy within 30 days, although it does not specify the process Council should use.

At their last meeting, Council agreed to interview applicants individually if members had questions for the applicant and to deliberate in executive session at their meeting Jan. 2, which is the deadline for the decision. At that meeting Council member Judith Hempfling expressed her preference for a more open process, and she repeated that concern at this week’s meeting, asking Council to include in the appointment process public interviews of the applicants.

“This is not a personnel issue, it’s a decision about what’s best for Council,” she said. “It’s appropriate to be done in a public discussion.”

A public interview was not required of candidates who ran for Council seats in last year’s election and therefore should not be required of applicants for the vacant seat, according to Wintrow, who described a public interview process as “a more onerous process than what we went through.”

Council member Bruce Richenbach said he saw no reason to change the previously agreed upon process. When Hempfling moved to include public interviews in the process, her action received no second. Wintrow said Council members are open to receiving feedback from the community on Council applicants, and that Council may discuss the appointment further at their Jan. 2 meeting before they go into executive session.

About 25 community members attended the meeting, and several encouraged Council to choose an applicant who can bring diverse perspectives to Council.

While unanimity can help the Council actions move quickly, diverse viewpoints make for richer discussions and more effective decisions, Amanda Banaszak said.

“If the process is more rocky, that’s fine,” she said, encouraging Council to appoint “someone who brings another voice to the table.”

Many local young adults of modest means feel their concerns are not represented, and they support Chad Runyon as someone who could bring that perspective to Council, according to Sean Creighton, who read a letter in support of Runyon signed by 31 villagers. Creighton described Runyon’s commitment to consensus building, a transparent governing process, affordable development and environmental issues as concerns he shares with other young adults.

Council applicants should not be asked about local issues, according to Becky Campbell, who said it would be inappropriate to ask applicants where they stand on issues before they have actually sat on Council.

“It’s important to appoint the best person,” Campbell said, regardless of their stand on local questions.

But “the best person is so often in the eye of the beholder,” according to Helen Eier, who said Council needs to make clear the criteria they would use to pick a new Council member.

In a discussion on the criteria they will bring to the appointment process, Council member Kathryn Chase said she seeks someone who has strong communication skills.

Regarding the recent controversy around Issue 21, the property tax levy that passed by one vote, “It has been painful that despite our best efforts to inform and educate, to be painfully honest and forthright, that all of that got turned into threats, lies and blackmail,” Chase said. “I would love to have someone who can communicate more clearly than I can.”

But the new Council member needs not so much to communicate decisions already made as to find consensus among differing viewpoints, according to Hempfling, who said that a new Council member should “not find the one right answer but as much common ground as possible” between as many “significant points of view as possible.”

But “who determines what those significant viewpoints are?” Wintrow said, adding that, “We need to make sure that person can make open-minded decisions for the entire community” and to have a “holistic” approach.

Rickenbach did not offer the criteria he will use in choosing a new Council member.

Council will make the decision following an executive session at its Jan. 2 meeting.

The News will report on other Council business in next week’s paper.

Contact: dchiddister@ysnews.com