Eight people were listed as having expressed interest in being part of a charter review commission at a Committee of the Whole meeting held Friday night.
Former corporation counsel Robert Going was one of the names listed and was also recommended by 4th Ward Alderwoman Diane Hatzenbuhler for the role of chairperson, citing his previous experience on charter review commissions. The other names listed were: Jerry Skrocki, Marie Gavry, Tony Leggerio, former mayor Mario Villa, Jeff Chace, Bob DiCensa, and Don Diehl.
According to Hatzenbuhler, any other city resident can still volunteer for the commission by contacting her or their respective ward’s council member. The council will take the matter up again at a meeting this Tuesday, April 15th at 5:45pm.
Mayor Ann Thane questioned the timing of the action saying, “given the budget, the capital projects that we have to do and the work you need to do on the corrective action plan…I don’t understand why there is a rush to get this on for Tuesday night, when you could have a thoughtful dialog around this.”
“The thing is, we’re not going to be involved in it, it’s going to be turned over to the committee,” said Hatzenbuhler, “We’re not going to sit in on the committee.”
Thane also questioned the purpose of the commission, asking “so they have no goal or direction? There’s no real concern? I don’t understand then why you’re even doing it.”
Hatzenbuhler replied,“What’s happened… in several cases, there is ambiguity…as an example, the golf commission…”
“That’s not in the charter,” interrupted Thane.
“That’s correct…but it does not specifically say that the mayor has the appointments.”
After the meeting, Hatzenbuhler said that the formation of the commission was not “retribution” but rather an attempt to clarify ambiguity in the charter. She said that the idea of a commission was one that she had talked about during her campaign and also when she first took office in January.
