Special Bd. of Aldermen — 05/14/2019 Page 2
Judy Blachek, 560 South Main Street. | am here as Ward 7 Clerk and | just want to say | totally approve of this
amendment. | believe saving the City a lot of money and everyone’s time and effort is just the way to go and |
hope you will support this measure.
Steven Elliott 256 Pine Street, | am in favor of this because it creates the incentive for people on these boards
to make more vacancies, which means that a lot of evil things could possibly happen. If you want this stuff
passed, | hope it happens. Thank you.
Testimony in Opposition
Paula Johnson Good evening, my name is Paula Johnson. I’m afraid to touch this, every time | do it falls apart.
Back in September 2004 Resolution O-4-126 and Alderman Wilshire you were on the Board at that point in
time. The bill was sponsored by Alderman David Deane by David Lozeau; David Deane was a co-sponsor,
myself and Robert Dion. And what we did was we felt that whenever there was, and Attorney Bolton you were
on the Board back then too. And we felt that when there was a vacancy, we didn’t appreciate the fact that
somebody could just come in, give a resume, and there could be cronyism and somebody gets on the Board.
And it wasn’t right so when we wrote this, Alderman Lozeau said “why don’t we do it with the next highest vote
getter’. The person went out, they campaign, they knocked on doors. If they didn’t make it; let the next one in
succession be able to obtain that seat.
And | agree with that, back then in 2004 and | agree with it now. Alderman LaRose came in and he was the
one who made this amendment that what would be, that the next person we’d have an election. But the intent
of all of us was that we wanted to make it fair and even and make the playing field fair. If you go out and work
and you might not make it the first round and God Forbid somebody has to leave for whatever reason, that the
next person should have that opportunity. And you can go down the line, and if somebody doesn’t want it as
you go down the line, then you take the resume and then you talk about it.
But that’s what the intention was all along and | hope that you would go back to 2004 and why we did this,
because we knew that when somebody left there was that hole to fill in any of these Boards and | hope that
you reconsider our Resolution 04-126 back in 2004. It was sensible legislation the way it was written to begin
with. It got all bound up and adding more and more stuff and this is the easiest way, the fairest way for the
next person to be the Alderman, Board of Public Works, whatever it has to be. Thank you.
Fred Teeboom 24 Cheyenne. First of all it is customary, in fact there is an Ordinance, before you have a
public hearing to have an explanation of what the public hearing is about. And that didn’t happen. It this mic
on. Being a public hearing | have a question that’s also in the ordinance. So | will address that question to
whoever can provide the answer. Let’s take an example because | tried to read this thing and it is pretty
awkwardly written.
If you have 3 years of a 4-year term remaining and the vacancy is filled by appointment, that’s the scenario,
that’s a question is then the election to appoint for 1 year until the next election at which point it will be an
election for the 2 years remaining or is it an appointment for the entire 3 years remaining at which point there is
an election. That’s my question. What is the answer?
President Wilshire
If there is a 3-year term and there is 1 year left, the person gets appointed and serves the rest of that term. If
there is a vacancy a year in and it is an at-large seat and there are 3 years left in the term, that person will only
serve until the next municipal election. They won't fill out the rest of the 3 years of the term, only until the next
municipal election.
Mr. Teeboom Ok that’s what | thought it said but | just want to make sure. Now let me make my comment in
opposition. Now | was part of the Special Election last time, and it was not an easy election for one thing the
schools don’t let out so there’s hardly any parking until the teachers leave in these schools around 3:00 there is
