Town to advertise Hempel's position

Although some remember her reappointment to the Planning Commission, the Town of Saratoga cannot find any record of Bev Hempel’s renewal.

“We have not found any official minutes from the town council that shows that she was reappointed,” Mayor John Zeiger said.

The town will begin to advertise the position on the Planning Commission after the next council meeting, giving people who applied last time a second chance to get on the commission.

In the last Saratoga Town Council meeting, Zeiger reappointed Rod Weinman and appointed Bob Thrasher to the Planning Commission. The council approved both appointmets. Others who submitted letters were upset by Zeiger’s appointments in the March 19 meeting because not everyone who wrote letters of interest were interviewed.

“This really reeks of partiality,” said Chris Shannon, a Saratoga resident who has been trying to get on the Planning Commission for the past three years.

Zeiger, along with Saratoga Councilman Steve Wilcoxson, interviewed four of the five residents who submitted letters of interest to be on the Planning Commission. Shannon said he did not make it to the interview.

The town sent letters notifying each of the five people. Each person got the letter, but Shannon did not receive his before the interviews, which took place March 18.

The town sent Shannon’s letter to his girlfriend’s P.O. box, a box Shannon does not have a key for, he said.

Zeiger said Shannon did not provide a mailing address or other contact information in his letter of interest, so the town chose one of three mailing addresses the town had on file for Shannon.

“That’s the box (Suzie) sent it to because Chris had told her he lived over there,” Zeiger said. “She did the best she could with the information that was presented to her.”

Shannon thinks the town should have put more effort into contacting him.

“My desire to be on the Planning Commission is pretty well known,” Shannon said. “I don’t think sending out a letter three days before a meeting is a really kosher way to make notification, unless you follow up on that letter.”

Shannon said he received calls from town officials in the past and thinks a phone call or an email should have been made to follow up on the town’s letter of interest.

“I think every effort should have been made to interview all applicants before making a decision,” Shannon said.

All but Councilman Mike McWain voted in favor of appointing Thrasher to the Planning Commission during the March 19 Saratoga Town Council Meeting. McWain said he voted no because he did not think it was fair to all applicants.

“It’s nothing against Bob Thrasher. I think he will do a wonderful job,” McWain said.

But McWain felt the decision was premature.

“I should have spoken up and said ‘Hey, we need to interview everybody’ before we make a decision,” McWain said.

Zeiger said he appointed Thrasher to the Planning Commission because he liked the way he interviewed and wanted to give him a chance.

This is the first year Zeiger has made appointments to boards. In the past, different boards, including the Planning Commission, would make their own recommendations to the council.

Zeiger chose to make his own appointments this year because town ordinance and state statute gives the mayor power to make appointments to the board, Zeiger said.